God's Plan
by Da'khari
Summary: Sam Evans and Mercedes Jones made a plan, they simply wanted to make a life together, straight forward plan right? So this should be a really short story - Right? For Boogilu xx
1. Chapter 1

**God's Plan**

 **15 Years old**

"Hi" Cedes smiled wide as Sam came through the classroom door, she'd been in love with him since forever, he may as well have been some sort of superstar for the way she mooned sometimes, she didn't hide it from him, in fact she made sure he knew at every opportunity she got that he was very much liked

"Hi" he smiled back cheekily, he knew she had a massive crush on him, but he was too busy doing what his Dad called playing the field, he was forever telling him he was too young to get tied down with just one girl, and that doing anything like that now was much too early in his short life. He was just gone 16 just getting comfortable with what attraction to the opposite sex was all about, he couldn't lie he liked the attention, and if he'd have had the guts he might have approached some of them, but his nights were spent dreaming of time with Cedes and those nights were pretty active, because every morning his sheets needed drying out, so much so he'd started sleeping on towels

"Did you hear about Andrew's party?" she asked as he turned to look at her sitting at the desk behind him

"Yeah but I've got practice and well... I'm in demand" he laughed, trying to keep her attention, knowing she was reminding him it was her birthday in a few weeks time

"Oh to be Sam Evans" she grinned at him for as long as he was looking at her, as soon as his back was turned her face was like stone with jealousy "Who's the lucky girlfriend?" she asked him before she could tell her mouth to shut the hell up

"You know me better than that Cedes, when I actually call a girl my girlfriend it will be for life" his head spun round as he spoke "And don't be so damn obvious with your jealous" he frowned at her

"Jealous?" she shrieked

"Mercedes Jones come to the front" Mr Dean; the teacher, bellowed at her noise

She got up and walked forward flitching when Sam flicked her ass as she passed him "Fuck you Evans" she turned to hiss at him, he smiled at her while he had, **_'I had a dream about you last night'_** ringing in his ear, watching that wiggle she had going on, it was going to lose him some sleep tonight **'Dreams' by Bazzi**

"What was that?" Mr Dean asked

"Nothing Sir" she buried her chin into her chest and carried on walking towards him

"Okay Miss brainbox, who doesn't need to listen to my teaching because of course Miss Jones already knows it all" he turned to write on the board "An Anagram, what is an Anagram?" he asked her, scribbling some words as he spoke

"Well that would be a word, or a phase" she held her finger up cocky "Made up of the letters of another word" she said smiling for getting it perfectly right

"Okay Miss Jones" he smiled at the class, you have 10 seconds from when I say to turn and figure out these three" he looked at her "Turn your back" he motioned for seeing her looking at what he'd already wrote, he scrubbed them off and took time to write more

Cedes stood looking at Sam, angry for him getting her into trouble "Subtraction" he mouthed as she narrowed her eyes at him trying to get what he was saying "Sub...tract..ion" he mouthed slowly

"Right, turn around, 10 seconds starts now" Mr Dean instructed watching her spin round

"Factor, Billion and ...Sub...Subtraction" she smiled with 3 seconds left to go

"Yess.." Sam laughed punching the air raising him out of his chair for a few seconds

"Go sit down Miss Jones" Mr Dean laughed "And let everyone else learn" he waved his hand confirming she really was clever

After school Sam went off to do his usual thing with the football team and Cedes went off to her design class "I'll meet you back at the gate" he told her as he walked off with his team mates

"Don't be late, I ain't got all night fool" she snapped at him walking off to be with her friends, he just smirked and raised his hand in acknowledgement

They lived across the road from each other in a fairly quite area in California, they'd been enemies with a quirky friendship for the first 12 years of their lives, that all changed when they attended a street cookout.

 ** _Flashback_**

"This is so boring" Sam kicked dirt telling his parents, he'd eaten everything he'd found in his path and practiced his ball skills until it was too dark to see the damn ball "Can we go home?"

"Grab a girl and have a dance" his Dad laughed as his parents danced to the old school R&B playing from the sound system Marcus had strung up outside their houses

"Or go play with Tony" his Mom slapped his Dad telling him

"Just go dance with Mercedes she looks as bored as you" his Dad encouraged him

Sam found a chair and slammed himself into it, pissed that his parents weren't actually listening to him, he watched as they threw more alcohol down their throats and got closer still dancing. He was looking around at the groups of people some laughing, some doing deals and looking around while others openly rolled their joints and smoked them, elders laughing, parents dancing, his eyes finally resting on Mercedes looking at her hands, messing with her nails and looking just as bored as him.

His Dad caught him looking at her and nodded his encouragement, he didn't know how he got over by her but the next thing he knew he was standing almost over her "Mercedes do you want to dance?" he asked his face burning as she looked back at him like he was ridiculous

"Yes" her face suddenly broke into a smile and she jumped up "I've never danced with anyone before" she grabbed his arm saying as they watched folks jumping around as the enjoyed some formation song playing

They'd got in line to join in with the festivities when the music suddenly changed, Sam looked over at Marcus who was laughing so hard he didn't even bother to mix the thing in, it wasn't mixable anyway, he stood looking at Mercedes as _**'I Wanna Be Your Man' by Zapp & Roger **_played out. The crowd on the makeshift dancefloor were roaring with excitement while Sam and Mercedes stood looking at each other wondering what to do next "Do you want to dance to this?" he asked

"I'll try, it's as old as age" she smiled watching as he grabbed her hand, looked around the dancefloor for tips and grabbed her round the waist to start moving, they were stiff about it to start with and when she finally trod on his toes she laughed at the face he made, he liked the face she pulled and laughed too.

"This is nice" he finally said when he was able to stop counting his steps, rolling his eyes smiling as Marcus started the song again still laughing

"It is" she smiled up at him joining in with the crowd singing _**"Better not pass me by, cause if you do you lose a good thing"** _she giggled embarrassed

 ** _"Cause what I've got to say, is sealed with a kiss, and a wedding ring"_** he sang back, she smiled as they stared into each others eyes, still moving around the floor when the song came to an end, he wanted to kiss her, he knew in his heart she wanted the same thing, he started to reach in to get that kiss and suddenly everyone was jumping around again at some random Snoop Dog song spoiling the mood

So when they got into 10th grade, they started talking a different way, looking out for each other and actually having a laugh. Most the girls thought she was his girl, the way she spoke to him sometimes when they first started hanging out together, but it soon spread like wide fly that Sam was single and by 11th Grade she just didn't exist for any of the girls in school unless they wanted to get a quick message to Sam.

 **End of Flashback**

"About damn time" he jumped up off the bench he was sitting on near the lockers when she finally decided to make an appearance "One of these days you're gonna walk you damn self home, got me standing here like a dick for hours waiting on your ass"

"I dare you" she looked up at him her eyes so daring he had to laugh

"I see what you're saying with those eyes, but I know you love me really" he giggled as they walked out of school

"And I know you know I ain't gonna be a fool about that"

"I know" he smiled at her throwing his arm around her shoulder "And I'm sorry for what happened in class"

"That's alright" she smiled up at him throwing her arm around his waist "So I guess it's my turn to choose?"

"Choose?" he frowned knowing full well what she was on about

"Don't act the fool Sam" she looked up at him anger in her voice "What we're doing, seeing as it's my 16th Birthday?"

"You said already Andrew's party"

"Stuff Andrew's party I want something for me"

"We have two weeks to sort that shit out" his mind on their conversation just over a year ago on his 15th birthday when she'd told him her kiss wish

"I guess, for what I want anyway" she looked up at him, he was curious

"What do you want?" he stopped walking and let her go, knowing this was going to be more expensive than he could afford

"I'm going to be 16" she smiled

"I know" he stood trying to second guess her

"What I say goes, right?"

"That's the deal" he smiled, knowing he was putting his foot in it

"I want you, on my birthday I want you"

"What do you mean?"

"I want to have sex with you on my birthday"

"That's not right Cedes, what the fuck?" he stepped away from her asking

"We agreed what I say goes, that's right yeah?" she reminded him

"I'm not going to have sex with you, for your birthday" he walked off angry "Are you coming?" he shouted back at her knowing she was still standing in the same place he'd left her. Because he'd got no response he stopped walking and turned to look at her "Are you coming?" he asked again as she stood just looking at him "Cedes" he walked back to grab her "Come on"

"We had a deal" she pulled away from him snapping

"But sex?"

"Okay" she stepped off sassing at him "I get it, we're not friends anymore"

"Cedes" he stepped after her "This isn't what friends ask of each other"

"What you mean to make them feel stupid, unattractive, unlovable, you act like the thought of even wanting to touch me is repulsive to you"

"This isn't who I thought you were, I don't want you just throwing your shit on the table like that, that's not what I need to think about you"

"What do you need to be thinking about me Sam?" she stopped to ask

"How the fuck did we get to this, I'm fucking tired, I want to get home, your asking me about my damn feelings, what's up with you tonight?" he walked off raking his hands through his hair

"You know I ain't moving until you answer me" she shouted after him

He rolled his eyes and walked back to her "Arguing in the street is not me girl, you need to stop shouting" he looked around, before looking back down at her

"And you think I give a shit because..."

"Mercedes Jones, Mercedes Jones" he rolled his eyes while his right hand lifted her chin before he pecked her lips smiling "You win" he chuckled I'm crushing so damn hard on you right now"

"God" she gasped relieved "It's only took you a year to tell me that" she giggled as she reached up and pecked his lips again, smiling when he pulled her in, stood there sharing their first real kiss, it was wet, fleshy and warm and they both knew it meant something "So" she smiled when he let her go "My birthday present?"

"I respect you, you know that right?"

"I know that and I'm telling you I need more" she smiled "Come on Evans I know you're jerking off at the thought of me every damn night, I know you think I'm hot" she slapped her ass telling him smiling at the curl of his lip as he watched her butt move

"And you know if that ass is going to anybody it's going to me, so why'd you keep stressing, and why when we're 16?"

"Because you refuse to make me your girlfriend and I need those bitches out there to just fucking stop, you have the power to make that happen and you just keep fucking teasing me"

"Because I don't want to fuck this up and lose you as a friend"

"You said a girlfriend would be for life, so you'd never lose me" she looked up at him, wondering if he'd actually lied about that "So can I be your girlfriend?"

"Cedes" he pulled away from her "I need some serious thinking space on this, it's a big step"

"Okay, go have your damn wet dreams" she walked off sulking, he followed her all the way home in silence, standing waiting for her to get in before he turned and went into his house

That night came at him with a vengeance, he didn't see anything resembling sleep, he was up either thinking about what she'd said or acting on how she'd felt when his lips pressed against hers and his whole body came to life. The next day came at him with a slap as he stepped out of his house to see Cedes walking with a group of ex-friends they'd said they needed to keep away from, she didn't even acknowledge him when they got to school, she walked straight past him and sat in her seat behind him, everyone noticed the ice

"What's fucking wrong with you?" he turned to ask her before everyone settled in

"Nothing, you wanted thinking space yeah?" she smiled at him "Take your time" she threw her books on the desk, not saying another word all through the lesson "I'll be alright getting home tonight so don't bother to wait" she turned to tell him as she left the classroom

"Fine" his face expressionless, but inside he was sulking

After school he waited anyway, he wanted to know what she was up to, he smiled when he saw her coming towards him on her own, thinking he'd done the right thing "I thought I'd wait just in cas..."

"Mercy you ready?" a voice interrupted them

"Yeah" she turned to smile at Tony, Sam stood watching Tony rest his arm across her shoulder

"What... who the fuck do you.. get your..." Sam was stunned to the point he didn't actually know what he wanted to come out of his mouth first "What the fuck are you doing?" his eyes finally rested on Cedes, shock in his face as he watched her getting cosy with the school drug dealer

"Can I get some thinking space on that one?" she asked walking away before he even had time to ask anything else

"I thought you said you guys were just friends?" Sam heard Tony their almost friend from their street asking her as they walked away

"We are" he watched her looking up into this guys eyes like they were his, he was hopping mad, kicking dirt with his toes all the way home, watching out his window as she said goodnight while Tony made a couple of attempts to kiss her, if he wasn't so mad with her he might have smiled at those attempts

On seeing her bedroom light go on he rushed over to have his say and let her know he really wasn't happy about what she was doing "What the fuck are you playing at" he stood in her window, ten minutes later shouting,

"What?" she asked her face moving closer to the window as she whispered teasingly "I'm not your girlfriend Sam I can do what the fuck I want" the mischievous smile on her face making him want to slap it for the danger she was putting herself in

"Is that so?" he smiled back sarcastically his lips tight for keeping in what he was thinking "Get out here" his voice full of authority

"Now who's being so damn obvious with their jealous?" she smiled at him still stood in the window, she waited for a fun reaction for a second, but he didn't come back with one, making her realise the seriousness of his words, she made her way outside to talk to him, or get talked at

He'd made his mind up he was going to slap some sense into her, putting herself at risk like that, he was going to show her he wasn't even joking like that "You're a bitch you know that right?" he grabbed hold of her neck pulling her to him no thought for control as his lips found her lower lip and bit it playfully but hard, before she could do anything

"Question is" she looked at him when he let her lip go, running her tongue across her mouth at the tingle and found blood on her lip "Can I be your bitch?" she stared into his eyes asking

"I...I want you to be my...girlfriend" he told her kissing her much softer this time, his lips hardly open but relaxed, her hands came up to circle his neck "Will you be my girlfriend?" he pulled her face away from him to ask

"Yes" she smiled pulling him back for the rest of that kiss, Sam's mind was all over the place, he'd forgotten about the slap he was threatening to give her, all he could think about was that bouncing ass, her hot lips on his and the mad feelings he was trying to control right now, as his blood reached boiling point, this was God's plan for him, it had to be it felt perfect.

Cedes was in heaven, it was everything she'd ever thought it was going to be except she felt more than she'd expected, she thought she'd loved him before, but right now in this minute she knew she loved him with everything she was, her instinct was right this was what God had planned for her.

The next day she took no time letting everyone at school know that they were an item, Sam sat back smiling as she threw herself all over him and went into full blown make out mode every time someone even looked like they wanted to ask the question "This will calm down soon won't it?" he asked as she held him against her locker for more PDA

"It will I promise" she giggled

"Only it's really making my balls hurt" he hugged her saying

"Sorry" she smiled as her head rested on his chest "Only we've played at this for so long" she looked up at him "Hopefully it will calm down after my birthday"

"I think it'll step up a notch after your birthday to be honest, but we'll see" he giggled "Let's get to class"

She managed to calm in down by the end of the week, all she could think about was her birthday present, Sam had actually joined in getting rid of the attention, he was focusing too, every opportunity they got to be alone together they pushed the boundaries further

"You know I love you don't you?" she whispered in his ear as she took their make out session to where she needed it to be unbuckling his trousers as her hand slipped down the front of them "Don't you Sam" she kissed his neck before sucking the life out of it, wanting to show the world he was taken by leaving her mark

"Cedes" he gasped as her hand grabbed him "You're gonna make..." his right hand left her hip and grabbed hold of her crutch frustrated for her trousers being there, his hand fumbling with her belt, button and zip to gain access, her hand moved up and down him making him move to the rhythm she was setting him

"Sam" she gasped when he found her core falling onto his chest at the sudden weakness that came over her

"Mercy" her Dad's voice brought them back to Sam's back garden, they had to move quickly before his Dad came out to alert them to her Dad's voice

"Coming Daddy" she shouted as she fastened up her jeans, brushed her hair straight, kissed Sam and walked from behind his house into her Dad's view

"Hey" Sam whispered when she was almost out of sight "You don't need to be jealous, I love you too" he smiled pointing at the hickey she'd left on his neck

"Time to be in girl" her Dad shouted, waiting for her to get across the road to walk her into the house

"Two days to my birthday" she grinned as they walked through school fingers intermingled a few days later "I hope you got everything planned?" she asked

"I have a plan" he smiled "Straight after school I have somewhere set up for us to go"

"I can't wait" she grinned so long and wide her teeth were getting dry

 **Birthday**

The day of her birthday came, she didn't get the cell phone that she'd asked for, apparently that was for when she finally got to college, so she made do with the cake, DVD and the promise of a trip to the bowling alley that weekend "I'm going for milkshakes with the art class after school, getting dressed at Jean's then we're off to Andrew's party, Jean's Mom will bring me back if Sam doesn't come" she informed her parents as she left for school that morning, the usual toast in her mouth

"You know your curfew" her Dad warned

"Yes Daddy" she said rolling her eyes, tired of hearing the same instruction every damn day "Bye" she smiled, she'd got out, and when she got back she wasn't going to be a virgin, she jumped for the evening ahead

"Morning" she heard,

"Morning" she looked across the road at Tony "Don't tell me your actually going to school on time?" she giggled

"I guess you got your wing man to take you to school these days"

"Who Sam?" she asked surprised "He's a good friend" she told him wondering why he'd want to know that shit

"Just a friend then..."

"Morning" Sam popped out of his front garden telling them "School Mercedes?" he asked "Tony" he fist punched him before walking away Cedes said nothing she just followed him "What did he want?" he asked as they walked off

"To know what we were to each other I think" she told him smiling "You keep telling me I got nothing to worry about, and here you are getting all possessive on me, trust me" she looked up at him

"I trust you, it's fucking him"

"He ain't shit on you, believe" she linked his arm and walked off to school

School went slow, and when they weren't wrapped up in each other, their shared looks were talking for themselves, the end of day bell went, they gabbed hands and left the building "We've only got five hours" he ran with her hand in his "We need to get this bus" he told her getting to the stop a few seconds before the bus came, they got off four stops later, the light of a motel flashing in the quiet back street "Come on" he pulled her smiling at her uncertainty "Have you changed your mind?"

"No" she grabbed his arm with her other hand pulling into him

"I've already booked the room, I've got the key" he dangled it in front of her "No one will know we're here, I got Terry to book it"

"What, you told Terry what we were going to do?"

"No" he laughed "I told him it was a present for you and your girls for your birthday"

"Oh" she smiled as he watched her walk through the door and sit on the bed "Five hours" she reminded him taking her jacket off

"Five hours" he reminded himself walking in and shutting the door as his other hand started taking his clothes off "Strip" he ordered when he realised she was sitting watching him, smiling as she got up and did as he told her "You like taking orders, I've read about your kind" he laughed, even louder when she slapped after him giggling "Music" he stopped mid strip, putting his ready made playlist on play "To drown out the noise you're going to make" he laughed

"Right" she laughed rolling her eyes in disbelief

"Is that an insult or a challenge?"

"Definitely a challenge" she giggled as they started taking their clothes off "And I want to try everything"

"Everything?" he smiled watching her nodding with a cheeky smile "Remember you asked for this" he told her taking his last garment off

Then a silence fell over the room as they stood looking at each other naked, Cedes was shaking she was so on edge "Do you need me to lay down?" she asked rolling her eyes for the stupid question "I mean, I'll lay down" she sat back down on the bed

He sat next to her feeling awkward, for all the conversations they'd had about this over the weeks, he was definitely nervous "Can I?" he asked looking at her breast rising and falling as her breathing got faster

"Yeah" her face relaxed telling him

His cold hands cupped her breasts as he moved in to grab her lips, suddenly they were full on tongue kissing, getting familiar, doing all the things they usually did only daring to go that bit further, passion overtaking, their obvious attraction having no limits, she was laying on the bed, his body almost on top of her before he let her lips go with a wet slap "Can I?" he asked watching as she nodded "You have to speak" he smiled

"Yes" she smiled back at him, her face getting serious as he climbed on top of her

"You're on the pill right?"

"Yeah" she gasped so scared, yet she was excited beyond belief

They fumbled around for a while before she parted her legs and allowed him to slip himself in between them, his fingers wondering around her body until he found the spot that she reacted to between her legs, he stayed there for a while before his need took over and suddenly they were connected in a way that was new but comfortable for them, quickly settling in, working through the expected pain, **'Dream' by Bazzi** playing in the background as their minds went to _**a place where space, and time, didn't exist, Just**_ them, slowly coming back into the room, when they finally found total satisfaction for the first time, they lay talking, her mind in settling down mode the house, big back yard, kids and stuff, his was in, more sex please, mode

"It's going to happen for us" he told her "All that homely stuff in your head" he smiled "hear that?" he asked as Bazzi sung out _**'Straight up out a dream, like a magazine, girl, it felt good with your body on me, we should never ever leave the sheets, yeah, we could stay forever underneath,** **yeah**_ ' "I promise, all that stuff's going to happen, but right now, my mind can't leave these sheets" he kissed her neck repeatedly, his intention apparent, finally laughing as they confessed to each other they enjoyed it and wanted more

"You got a thing about Bazzi?" she asked listening to maybe the second time round of his album

"I got a thing about you and Bazzi expresses it for me" he laughed, making their way to the bathroom

"That was the quickest five hours" he told her as they jumped out the bath and quickly got their party clothes on to get the bus back

"It was our first ever five hours" she corrected him

"I stand corrected" he smiled pulling her hair out of the back of her dress as they left the motel room leaving the key on the bed "Happy Birthday" he kissed her forehead saying, they got the bus back in time to spend an hour wrapped up at Andrew's party, for their alibi

"Goodnight" he finally said as they parted company pretending to be friends again when they got back to their street

"Goodnight" she frowned she wanted more than that, Sam pulled her to him and kissed her hand "Dream about me?" she asked

"Most definitely" he giggled finally walking away and breaking their linked hands, both feeling hurt for having to leave the other

"Morning" he smiled as they met for school the next day "Do you feel any different?"

"About you yeah" she reached up and kissed him, not caring who saw them "Morning" her hand slid down his arm and grabbed his hand as she turned to walk with him "Did I thank you for the present?"

"I think you did" he giggled "Very loudly"

"Thank you music" she laughed

 **16 Years Old**

They'd taken to finding any time they could to be together, parents out shopping, late from work, in the garden, in the local park where they'd found a dark place they called their own. Today Cedes' parents were out, her Dad was away in Atlanta with his sister apparently her husband was misbehaving again and he went to fix him, whatever that meant, and her Mom was at her mysterious friends house watering plants and airing the house ready for their return in two days time. They'd taken the opportunity to have their last comfortable evening together because her Dad was coming back this evening and they knew it would be months before they got the opportunity of comfort again

"Cedes" Sam gasped as he heard her Mom's voice coming towards her bedroom door "Cedes" he jerked her awake as the door burst open

"What the hell is going on in here?" her Mom bellowed waking her out of her sleep, she looked around the room a bit disorientated at first but quickly focused on her Mom before remembering that Sam was in the room and looking in the bed beside her

"Sorry Mrs Jones" Sam grabbed for his trousers telling her but she was so focused on her daughter she didn't acknowledge it

"Mercedes Jones" she shouted "Get yourself dressed and out here now, and I suggest you go home" she looked at Sam telling him before banging the door shut

"Shit" she jumped up and grabbed her robe

"Do you want me to stay?" he asked concerned at her Mom's tone

"No I think it's best you go home, I'm going to get killed for this" he could see the terror in her eyes as she spoke he knew she wanted to cry, but he knew her and no way was she going to be sorry for having fun "I love you Sam, whatever happens, I want us to keep seeing each other" she stopped to tell him

"I love you too, and I refuse to stop seeing you, girlfriend for life remember?"

"I remember" she smiled before they set about getting dressed

 _ **'You give me feelings that I can't explain to you, girl I was cold for a while now I'm something new, tell me what you want, anything at all, I got it though, swear to God we unstoppable, yeah'**_ he sung as they got dressed "Unstoppable you hear that?" he zipped her dress up telling her

"Unstoppable" she kissed him agreeing, before he grabbed the door handle, opened it and let her out, he followed walking straight through the house and out the door stopping to smile before he shut the door and rolled his eyes for what he was going to have to tell his parents right now

 **Cedes**

"What the hell do you think you're playing at?" her Mom slapped her across the face asking "In my damn house"

"I didn't know you..." she lingered off thinking what she had to say could earn her another slap "Sorry" she sobbed

"Sorry's not going to stop you from getting pregnant" she shouted at her "Sit down" she ordered, Cedes knew her Mom wasn't in the mood for hearing her shit so she sat, listening to her Mom's take on her relationship with Sam, asking her if he'd taken advantage, talking about all forms of STD's, telling her some exact words from her dead Grandmother and finally throwing the bombshell at her about her being sent to her Aunt Zina in Atlanta "I'll speak to your Father when he gets here and you'll be on the first flight out tonight, I am not dealing with a accidental pregnancy, you guys have been using protection right?"

"Yeah of course" she replied

She didn't even get to go to her room to switch the light on telling Sam she was alright or to come over so she could fill him in, her Dad arrived home and they both went into it at her, she hadn't cried so hard in years while they stood over her talking about their disappointment, her reduced hope of finding a man that would respect her, their failures as parents before he too informed her she was going to his sisters house

"You can use this time to think about your actions young lady, girls don't turn into women overnight" her Dad huffed at her as she turned to see her Mom wonder off towards her bedroom, coming back into the living room a few minutes later with a packed case "You'll go to Aunt Zina's like your Mom said" he told their crying child, there was no sympathy, he took the case off her Mom and left the house coming back empty handed, she could only assume he'd thrown it in the back of his car and the next thing she knew she was on a flight to Atlanta, she couldn't believe they weren't joking.

She had 10 hours to cry, think and take in the quiet before the noise of the three little brats became her world, no doubt she'd be the weekend live in Nanny for them, that of course was her punishment, going to Atlanta to become the live in damn maid, with no end date. She finally settled in the fact that she could guilt trip her parents into bringing her back home within the week, and complying with her Aunts every whim would get her to talk up for her, she could do that, she checked her seatbelt as they announced landing

 **Sam**

He got home sweating, he knew it was only a matter of time before Cedes parents were over at his to tell their sordid version of their time together he had to get it out, his face distorted as the door creaked alerting his parents to his entrance "Hello son" his Mom's head lifted out of her book smiling "We actually wanted a word before you get settled into homework" she closed the book to pay him attention "Come and sit down a minute" she waved her hand indicating for him to come towards her

"A word about?" he looked at her before turning to see his Dad sitting at the piano "Dad" he said in acknowledgement of their eyes meeting

"Hello son" he said getting up to get closer to where they stood "Sit down" he told him watching as his wife settled in while Sam and he found a chair "We noticed that you and Mercedes are keeping each other company a lot lately and we just wanted to have a word about... the birds and the..." his Dad's voice sounding uncertain, even shy about the subject

"Dad" he stopped him "I think I need to tell you guys something" he raked his hand through his hair and sat forward in the chair

"She's your girlfriend isn't she?" his Mom asked smiling

"Yes she is ...or should I say was, her Mom just caught us" he looked up at his Mom his face red with shame at having to tell them this

"I knew you were" his Mom smiled "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Her Mom caught us" he repeated knowing they hadn't got it "In bed, she caught us in bed at her house a while ago"

"God Sam" his Mom gasped just as embarrassed as him

"What the hell, you've just got together how are you in damn bed already?" his Dad shouted "I don't mean to shout" he backtracked when he realised he was talking to his son "It's just ... did you apologise?"

"Of course but it didn't help, I'm scared for what's happening to her over there right now"

"You'll need to face them, we'll take you over later" his Dad told him a small smile on his face, like he was proud more so than angry about it all, Sam didn't know what to make of it but he expected more than what they actually gave out

"Is that it?" his Mom's raised voice shocking him, he'd never heard that tone from her before

"We'll talk after dinner, in depth" his Dad assured her, she didn't seem happy about that but she took it and walked off to the kitchen to prepare dinner

 **The Following Day**

Sam and his parents had gone over that last evening, when he and his Dad had finally finished their conversation about treating girls with respect, not taking that kind of thing too serious and finally he'll get over her, but the house was empty and by the time they finally saw light it was way past visiting time, his Dad promised they'd go round the next evening, Sam went to bed to think about what to do next, of course there was no sleep but tonight it was more being scared for what might have happened to Cedes once her Dad had gotten home.

He was upset and even more scared the next morning when Cedes wasn't at school, he didn't expect her to call for him as she usually did, her Dad would, at the very least, bring her in the car, but as the day went on he realised she wasn't there and there was nothing he could do about that, they had no way of making contact, her parents were dead against any type of social media, wouldn't even let her have a phone, he had no way of contacting her outside of face to face. He sat through school that day his mind firmly on where his girlfriend could be, imagining what had actually happened to her the night before, all sorts of sordid things running through his mind as he waited for the end of the day

"Dad we need to go apologise" he announced before he got in the door "Mercedes wasn't at school today"

"Okay later" his Dad looked up from his phone to reply

"Please Dad, can we go now?" he begged, he couldn't sit down even if he'd have wanted to

"Come on then" he agreed, understanding his son's anguish, "Ann" he called before they left the house and went over the road to the Jones residence "Mr Jones" his Dad's voice sounded serious as all three stood at the Jones' front door, looking at the man "Sam tells us he had a situation yesterday, that I'm sure he's sorry about, but we felt he needed to come and tell you guys that himself"

"Please come on in" Mr Jones smiled opening the door for them to get past him, a stern look at Sam as he passed through

"Mr Jones" Sam managed, his face red with embarrassment, this man knew he'd slept with his daughter, he felt like he'd stolen something from him

"Mercedes isn't here" he smiled as Sam looked around the room for her, not asking anything

"She's out?" his head sprung round asking

"Well out" Mr Jones looked at his wife; Hazel, before carrying on "We sent her to her Aunt in Atlanta for a while, she'll go to school up there"

"Atlanta?" he gasped, he didn't even believe them "When did she go?" he asked his face showing shock and concern

"We took her to the airport last night" Hazel told him "So there'll be no repeats of what I saw yesterday" she warned

"I'm truly sorry about that Mrs Jones" he looked at the ground telling her "And you Mr Jones, it won't happen again" he finally looked up at her parents standing in front of him

"We know" Mr Jones smiled, Sam looked at him trying to catch how he meant that but was distracted by his Dad saying something that seemed to close the conversation down, their parents shook hands said their farewells and then he was being shuffled out the house

 **Cedes & Sam **

She'd landed, cried in the airport bathroom and eventually came out smiling to face her Aunt Zina and the three brats, her twin 6 going on 16 year old girls and Damien who was a very shy 12 year old, dominated by the women in the house he hardly spoke to his Mom let alone anyone else. The whole trip to the house and the only thing she had going round in her head was Sam's phone number she was trying to remember if it was 3594 or 4953 angry with herself that she couldn't remember, but it wasn't that often they needed to contact each other via phone, especially not house phones.

"You'll start school on Monday" her Aunt Zina announced as they grabbed the bags out the boot, Mercedes following as she walked through the house and threw the cases in the back bedroom. Her Aunt wasn't in the best of moods already, she'd just gotten rid, with her Dad's help, of her vile crack smoking baby Daddy, the house could have done with more than a coat of paint on the outside and everything, including furniture, on the inside, he'd done a good job of selling everything of any worth for his addiction. Cedes threw herself on the unmade bed and cried again, her parents were evil, and she doubted she'd ever forgive them for giving her this as a punishment. The days went quickly and it took her a while to save any money let alone the cents she finally scraped together, from around the unkempt house, to afford a long distance call to Sam, one day on the way home she finally made the decision about which number she was going to try, she calculated his travel and called when she thought he'd get in, finding an exchange she made the call, pleased when she heard the familiar voice on the other end

"Sam" she cried when he happened to pick up the phone, relieved at hearing his voice "I'm in Atlanta, come get me"

"Cedes are you alright, I've been going out of my mind?" his breath burst out of him "Atlanta I know your Dad told me" he gasped "That's the other side of the fucking world isn't it?"

"I need you to come get me" she couldn't control her crying as she spoke "This place is the fucking pits, Aunt Zina don't even care about the shit she lives in, I hate my parents"

"Of course I'll come and get you" his voice strained "And you know I miss you so bad"

"That bad?" she giggled through her crying "When are you coming to get me?"

"I've got some savings but I need some more to get you back, is this your number?"

"No my Aunt hasn't got a phone, I'll have to save to call you again" she told him hearing the beeps telling her time was running out "I have no more money Sam, I'll call again soon bye I love you"

"I love you bye" he replied unsure if she'd actually heard him as he looked at the dead phone, smiling for her actually making contact, now he really had a mission, he needed to get a plan together, make some money fast, think about what he was going to do once they were back together; coming back home wasn't even an option for them, they'd find them if they stayed at her Aunt's house, he needed big money for these plans he was hatching in his head, paper round money wasn't going to do it.

"Dad" he'd picked his moment one evening to have the conversation "What would you feel about me working in the Diner a few evenings a week, just to keep occupied?"

"Which Diner?"

"McGuire's round the corner, just for three hours or so"

"I'll speak to your Mom" he ruffled his hair as he passed, Sam didn't mind him doing that, especially if the answer was going to be a resounding yes, which it generally was when he asked his Dad

A week later he was working at McGuire's earning $30 a week while his newspaper delivery was earning him $10 considering he needed at least $1200 for both of them to travel and then money to survive on their own he soon realised he was fighting a losing battle, made worse when he got another disturbing call from Cedes, crying down the phone putting more pressure on

"Who's that?" he asked hearing some guy shouting in the background

"Just some guys being loud" she looked round to check the noise as she replied, wiping her eyes

"So this address you gave me is right yeah?" he asked reading it back to her

"Yeah ..."

"What's going on?" he asked hearing more shouting in the background

"These guys just came in, I told you" she looked back at the noise telling him, shocked when one of the guys looked at her and started shouting

"What you looking at Bitch?" he asked, her head went down

"Sam I got to go" she whispered down the phone, smelling trouble

"What's going on?" he asked again "Is he talking to you?"

"Yeah I think I looked at..." she got out before the phone was ripped out her hand

"Get going" the man told her, she didn't verbally respond she did as told leaving him holding the phone with Sam still on the line

"She had to leave" the voice told him before the phone went down

 **Sam**

Sam stood with the phone in his hand wondering what the hell was going on down there, that wasn't a kid his age that was a grown man bullying her like that, and his voice didn't sound like it held any shame about it. He thought it might have been that no good Uncle of hers back on the scene and throwing his weight about, or even some new man her Aunt was seeing. According the Cedes her Aunt lived a very different life to her parents, she'd met some guy when she was 18 and ran off to Alabama, where she'd gone underground for nearly 10 years. Cedes was 5 years old when they finally found her again, she'd turned up having had two children for that man she'd run off with, he'd beaten her to a pulp she'd left him and found herself homeless in Atlanta. She seemed to fall from one disastrous relationship to another, leaving children and men as she went through her rough life, finally getting married to Bing just 4 years ago and there was trouble already, and now a new man. Sam rolled his eyes and set the phone down, he needed to find money faster, what if that man was down there beating Cedes too. "Quick money" he looked up and down the street stress building

Sam went off to his evening job, Cedes heavy on his mind as he watched the usual evening entertainment from Tony and the guys outside across the street, the girls hanging around to do whatever they needed to do for their next fix, his crew whose main ambition it was to become the leader and the bling car parked just up the road watching everything that was moving around their spot

A stranger walked in, Sam looked across the road, knowing this spelt trouble as Tony signalled his guys and everyone came walking across "Sam" Mr McGuire called as everyone watched "Get round the back" he pointed at him, he didn't ask questions it wasn't the thing to do at a time like this in these parts "Mary" he only looked at his wife and she followed Sam to the back

Two guys stood at the door while Tony walked up to the stranger sitting at the table with two guys behind him "I like my chain on your neck" Tony smiled at the guy

"It's my chain" the guy replied looking up at him waiting for something to happen looking at all three guys as he spoke

"Wrong answer" Tony said as one of the guys walked past him and punched the guy that was sitting down a few times

"My chain?" Tony asked holding his hand out

"My Dad gave me this chain" the guy shouted

"Wrong answer" Tony took a blade out of his pocket telling him

"Hold up, hold up" The guy held his hands up in surrender, taking the chain off his neck and passing it to Tony "Sorry you can have it" he told him looking at the knife as he spoke

"Right answer" Tony smiled looking at the chain he'd acquired before stepping off with his goons following

"Do you want us to call the police?" Mr McGuire asked the guy as he sat, still stunned, Mary bringing him a coffee at the same time

"No" he looked up at them "I'll be alright, I need to get out of here though" he looked across the road at the guys settling back in their spot as if nothing had happened, their girls kissing all over them like robbing people was some sort of turn on for them, and shook his head before getting up and heading for the exit "Oh" he looked back as he got to the door "Thanks for the help" he said sarcastically

Sam stood at the kitchen door watching Tony across the road handing out $100 bills like they were dimes to his crew and a light came on, he could watch a door for a few seconds a few nights a week and get paid a few hundred a night, in no time he's be in Atlanta destined for wherever "Go home Sam" Mr McGuire told him, he grabbed his jacket, threw his apron down and left looking back at Tony and his crew as he walked

The next shift he started to pay more attention and witnessed more guys pass by, packages exchanged, money being ferried around handed out and everyone smiling. As far as Sam knew Tony had been given the patch by his Brother Marcus, who had been to prison a few times for various things as a minor, they thought he'd calm down when he became an adult but he just stepped up his game, Sam had never asked the history he just knew Marcus had his own patch, at the age of 21 and he was still going in and out, right now he was in so Tony took control of things and he was a sort of friend to Sam; well actually their parents talked in the street sometimes, they went to the same school and played football together sometimes when Tony bothered to come to school, they fist bumped most times they saw each other and they'd put their arm around the same girl which was more than he shared with most of the other guys at school.

It had been three weeks and Sam had started getting the attention again with Cedes not being around, there was only so many times he could use the sick Aunt excuse, even he was getting tired of it "We know she's gone Sam" Sana one of the cheerleaders laughed as he passed that tired information across again

"She hasn't gone, we're still together" he cut his eye at her for spotting him up in front of everyone, taking notice of one of her boobs threatening to leave it's cover "Shit" he looked away when he realised he was ogling "I miss Cedes" he shook his head walking away from the situation, **_'Swear to God we unstoppable'_** singing in his head, he needed a distraction before he got distracted

"Tony" he called as he left school that afternoon, Tony standing in his usual I'm selling spot "Are you hiring?"

"For what exactly?" Tony laughed

"Your crew" Sam looked at him smiling

"Joke right?" Tony stopped talking to a punter to ask "You know our parents talk, if my Moms ever heard I'd cut you into anything I do she'd... Wow, it ain't worth thinking about" he chuckled "Not hiring you Sam sorry" he tapped his shoulder and walked off

"Tony" he followed him "Seriously I need to make some quick money, real quick money you have to help me out"

"I have to?" Tony looked into his eyes, smiling at the desperation he saw there

"Please man I'll do anything"

"Quick Money?" Tony smiled at him "And nothing comes back on me" he checked

"Nothing I swear"

"Quick is dangerous you know that right?"

"I need money quick" he confirmed "And I'll do whatever you need me to do to get it"

"I'll get back to you" Tony replied walking away from him, he needed to think about this, everything about it spelt trouble for him on the one hand but on the other, he must be desperate to have asked. Tony had seen the cheerleaders around him, he was a man he knew how hard resisting that shit was, maybe Sam had got him some bitch pregnant and needed to deal with it. He decided he'd spot him for a few weeks let him get the cash together, be a man about it and then let him go once he saw he'd made enough.

Sam didn't even give him a chance to get to school the next day, he couldn't even predict Tony was even going to be in school, he met him across from the café that morning "So have you thought about it?" he asked before he even said morning

"Okay" Tony rolled his eyes at him "Meet me outside the café at 6pm, you work for me now, forget McGuire" he told him his tone changed from friend to boss in seconds "Never say my name" he warned Sam nodded his head and walked off, he smiled knowing his time to see Cedes again had just been cut in half maybe less

Sam hated school it had too many memories of Cedes all over the place, he couldn't wait for it to end that day at least he had something to look forward to, he'd finally got a plan "Reporting for duty" Sam smiled as he walked towards Tony on time that evening, watching as his guys square up on his approach

"He's alright" Tony smiled walking towards him and fist punching his hand in their near friend way "So you still want quick money?" he walked back to his spot asking him, Sam following

"Yep" he rubbed his hands together telling him

"Sam you understand don't you that once your in that's it, you can't leave this life?" he grabbed his shoulder asking him "I need to know your sure about this" he was shitting him but he thought he needed to hear the same as everyone else

"I'm sure" he told him, thinking their parents could negotiate that when he'd made enough money, Sam went home smiling those first few nights he was making $200 just for standing on the street with the rest of the guys, a car drove up a few times but there was friendly conversation and then they drove off, he was laughing all the way to Atlanta

"Sam" Tony called him one night in week two "Fast money right?"

"Yeah" he smiled, the smile leaving his face when Tony put a gun in his hand "What's this for?"

"I need you to go to this address" he put a piece of paper in his hand "And collect a parcel, that's so your prepared if anything fucked up goes down" he looked down at the gun telling him

"I've never used a fucking gun" Sam told him trying to stop the shakes running through his body at the thought of even holding the damn thing

"When someone's holding one up against your face, you tend to get the gist of it instantly, just remember to remove the catch before you fire" he told him taking the gun to show him how to do that before making it safe and handing it back to him "Oh and aim to hit your fucking target" he laughed

"Is this a joke?" Sam asked, looking around the guys as everyone stood laughing

"No Sam, quick money comes with risk, and you're on a clock, hurry up" Tony told him, pointing to a bike leaned against the wall, he hadn't signed up for this but he'd signed up for quick money and surely Tony wouldn't send him into anything seriously threatening, he grabbed the bike and set off

For all intents and purposes Sam was a guarded late starter in this business, he'd grown up with shit happening around the corner from his house, heard the stories from his parents as well as some school friends that he'd quickly been made to distance himself from, but now, he was sweating with every peddle he pushed towards becoming one of those boys his parents tried so hard to keep him guarded from. Twenty minutes later and he was parked outside an ordinary looking house sweating harder than he ever had before, he knocked the door and answered a load of questions before he was let in. The room was classic drug den, the movies were real, he was standing in a scene from Pulp Fiction, girls laying all over the place zoned out of their heads and taking candy like it was exactly that, a broad chested man stood looking down at him, suddenly a door opened and he was called into a room by another bulldozer of a guy, then faced with this ordinary looking guy they wanted him to believe was the boss "Sam right?"

"Yeah" he quickly replied watching as this man turned around with a reefer in his hand and a gun in his belt

"You're running for Tony?"

"Yes Sir" he swallowed the little saliva in his mouth to get out, this was serious shit

"Take that package there and make sure you deliver it to him" he watched Sam move around the room to the package, reach for it and stop to look at him "You're on a timer right?"

"Yes Sir"

"Then get" he told him moving sharply, making Sam flinch before he grabbed the package and walked out fast

"Shit" Sam hissed when he got outside, sweating again, this time cold, looking back at the door before making his way back to Tony to deliver the package

"About time I was just about to send the dogs out" Tony laughed as Sam came towards him "You got my package?"

"Yeah" he smiled handing it to him "It was easy" he stood watching as Tony gave it to Neil who checked it, gave him a nod and Tony passed Sam over a roll of money "Thanks" he smiled

"You need to go home before your Pops comes for me" Tony told him watching as Sam went off to make it home before his curfew

"Fuck" he laughed when he got to his bedroom, looking down at the money on his bed "$500 for just doing that" he scraped the money up and sat on his bed calculating "Three more of those and I'll have enough for travel and a motel for a week" he smiled putting the money under his pillow before he lay to think about Cedes.

He was out nearly every night earning his $100 for body watching with the rest of the guys, waiting for the opportunity to do another drop and get that bulk in "Why do you keep coming back?" Tony asked him one evening "How much money do you need, what have you done?" he pulled him to the side to ask

"A lot, I've got big plans"

"Well I'm not going to let you stay in forever, that wasn't the deal" he told him concerned

"Then give me more work"

Sam quickly got used to getting his money every day and at some point need maybe turned into greed, it was well into week four before he realised he'd maybe missed Cedes call, tried to make an excuse to Tony so he could stay at home and wait for it but Tony wasn't having it, "Not in the middle of a shift" he'd told him watching Sam sulk "You could always stop" he suggested

"No it's fine I can wait"


	2. Chapter 2

**Cedes**

Meanwhile, Cedes had been having a hard time with her Aunt, she'd become Cinderella in the house, her Aunt was drinking excessively obviously depressed, she was the type that couldn't do without a man in her life no matter how bad he treated her. Bing had been back a few times to see his children that weren't his, she was more than happy on those days functioning like a Mom to the children, cooking and everything and the next morning he'd walk out of her bedroom and out the damn house, clearly both getting just what they'd needed, before he'd remind her he was a single man, she'd cry and reach for the bottle till the next time.

School was rough, nothing like her school in California, there were police at the gates, not that they stopped anything that was happening she guessed it just made the parents feel like something was being done. Drugs ran the school, the girls were territorial, none of them liked her because obviously being the new girl she got some attention from the wishing boys, she smiled and played along with their shit, but she really couldn't be bothered, this shit was temporary, this wasn't God's plan for her life.

She'd been in the phone exchange making a call to Sam when four guys walked in being really loud about nothing, she'd looked at them several times during her conversation shaking her head as they went about disrespecting the people in the small booths "What you looking at Bitch?" she heard one of them standing rather close to her shout. She looked up to see him staring at her and got the shakes straight away cutting her call short with Sam when he dragged the phone out of her hand and ordered her out. She stepped off, she really wasn't used to grown men coming up in her face like that, she knew nobody so there was no help

"Who are you?" one of the men blocked the door as she tried to walk out asking

"Mercedes Jones" she fired back, unsure where the attitude came from, or how it was going to help her right now

"Where you from?"

"California" she looked up into this grown man's eyes telling him, daring him to do something about that

"What you doing in Atlanta?"

"Staying with my Aunt Zina" she cocked her head telling him, hoping he'd see she wasn't scared or anything like her Aunt

"Zina?" he asked looking at the guy putting the phone back on it's hook, a look passing between them "What's your Dad's name?"

"Heath or Mr Jones to you" she looked up at him, all feelings of scared had gone, fuck it, if she was going to die or be raped she was going to have her say first, and there was going to be a fight up in this damn place before they got what they were after

"Get out of here" the guy moved from in front of the door telling her, she opened it and left, running home to tell her Aunt about the experience, missing out the fact that all this happened at the telephone exchange centre and what she was doing there in the first place

"Nobody round here would be mad enough to touch you, especially now they know who you are" Her Aunt told her, Cedes left the room wondering how this woman, who was constantly drunk could hold such clout in the community, she went to her room thinking about it that evening after cooking, washing, cleaning and getting the children to bed finally concluding that Bing must be the influence, that's why she still allowed him round, protection.

School the next day was different, if people never had anything good to say they said nothing, life soon became tolerable, but for her it still wasn't California and Sam wasn't there it was never going to feel like home, her parents hadn't even called to see if she'd made it to her Aunt's let alone anything else, they'd just forgot about her, so much for being an only beloved child

Four weeks in and Bing was off the scene, he didn't pass round anymore he was replaced by her Uncle Martin, he wasn't like Bing at all, he'd always been a friend, he never stayed in Aunt Zina's bedroom he was in the living room and he didn't seem to sleep much. Then within two days of him being there furniture started arriving, painting and decorating happened, little by little the house started to become a home again Aunt Zina slowed down on the drinking and life became semi normal, Cedes was still the live in Nanny but her Aunt was doing some part time work now. Ceded found herself with more time to miss Sam, and still no word from her parents, she was learning to silently hate them.

It had been nearly three weeks since she'd last spoken to Sam because Money wasn't coming in, there were no pennies laying around a messy house for her to pick up and Martin wasn't giving anybody anything but they were living well, food was coming in, bills were being paid and clothes were being brought. In a desperate bid she took her new jeans back to the shop and got the money back to make a call to Sam, she was sure those bitches at school were digging their claws in and now they knew what making love was all about she knew it was as hard for him to control as she was finding it.

On her lunch break she went by the usual exchange and made the call, the phone rang out, sending her mind all over the place, "Football" she rolled her eyes at where her mind had gone before leaving the booth to go back to school

"What are you doing in here?" she heard looking up to see the bald guy that had took the phone off her a few weeks before, this time his voice was softer "You need a phone?" he asked a smile on his face, like he just realised he was talking to a child

"Yeah" she replied suspiciously, wondering what else she'd be doing in a fucking telephone exchange other than using a phone and why she would need to do that if she didn't need one

"Gee get the lady a phone" he hollered as one of the guys left the shop, she watched him go to the parked Merc and come out seconds later with a box, he gave it to the guy who was talking to her who took it out and set it up in front of her "Don't go mad" he smiled "And come to me for top up"

"I'm not really allowed to have a..."

"That's fine keep it a secret and just wave when you need it topped up" the guy told her his tone dismissing her, she half smiled and walked away

 **Sam & Cedes **

Cedes smiled as she walked away with her direct link to Sam, she could call him any time and she knew how she was going to surprise him. It was 11pm in California he'd have slept and woke up to look through the window and turn his TV off she rung the house phone and let it ring three times before putting it down, then once stopping it again, then twice and stopped it.

Sam lay in his bed listening to **_'Beautiful' by Bazzi_** singing _**'Sorry that your mum found out, guess that we just really had the thunder, ain't nobody else that I'd be under'**_ stressing about all the trouble they'd brought themselves by being so reckless, thinking about Cedes when he heard the phone ring, and lay wondering what his Dad was still doing out, listening for his Mom's voice as it stopped, when it rung twice his mind clicked and on hearing the two rings he knew it was Cedes calling him using their time old code back when he'd showed her how to bypass the lock her parents had on their antique house phone, before they got caught. He jumped up and grabbed the phone to get the number, seconds later her was tapping it out on his mobile "Cedes is that you?" he asked as soon as he heard it pick up

"Sam" she smiled for hearing his voice "I've been calling you what's going on?"

"I have another job, I need to make money to come get you"

"So you're still coming to get me?"

"Of course, why do you ask that?" his conscience pinging, he knew he was getting greedy about getting this money together, he had more than he needed already, maybe it was the lifestyle he liked

"It's maybe been a while since I heard your voice" she giggled "And I know those bitches are getting out of hand, I feel it"

"I'm keeping them in check" he laughed, trying to hide how hard it had been for him

"You still dreaming about me?"

"Even in the daytime now, it's getting hard"

"I figured" she laughed

"We're talking maybe another two weeks and I'll be there, I'll have enough for a motel for a few weeks and we can work something out after that" he stopped to hear what she had to say about his plan to basically run away from home "Cedes we won't be coming back home" he felt he had to make clear at the silence

"I know" she replied as they sat in silence for a while working out what that meant for them "I'm fine with that, I can get a job too"

"How are they treating you down there, what was all that shouting about last time?"

"That man gave me a phone, apparently Bing must mean something round here, nobody messes with me anymore, the girls at school are bitches and..."

"Every girls a bitch for you" he laughed

"They really are" she laughed "I love being able to speak to you when I need to"

"You finally got a phone" he laughed, only half happy because now she'd expect him to answer her for every call, and how the hell was he going to be that and all about what Tony needed him to do, maybe he should tell her about it all he sat listening to her ramble on about these hard knock guys she'd made friends with "Cedes" he finally stopped her mid sentence "All this is great but I just need to hear one thing from you right now"

"What?" she asked forgetting everything that she'd been saying previously "I love you, you know I do babe"

"And I love you too, but that's not it, I'm laying on my bed about to take my shorts off, we're having a private conversation for the first time in nearly eight weeks and I ne..."

"You need to get off" she laughed "When did I lose you in this conversation?"

"You never lost me, I'm just focusing on a different part of you that's all"

"I guess this is what they call a booty call"

"Booty" he moaned "Magic word" his voice husky with want "I was just listening to Bazzi again" his chuckled

"Which track?"

"Cartier"

"So here's your call" she told him humming **_'The way that dress fall off you is amazing, love a miracle, a beautiful creation, baby, come a little closer let me taste it, you came a little closer, now you're shaking'_**

"Taste it?" he asked "I'm going to hold you to that"

They quickly got into conversation taking their time to build each other up, the phones got dropped a couple of times as they focused on themselves "Sam" Mercy gasped as she built up to her point of no return

"I fucking love it when you call my name like that, it makes me jump babe, God" he gasped squeezing his words out trying to focus on giving her pleasure too "I love how your body totally opens up to me when I kiss that neck of yours, that's your spot yeah"

"God Sam I need you so much I can feel your hands all over me, I need you inside me stretching me, you're so damn big" she gasped "Shit" she hissed trying to control herself, she'd literally felt him fill her "Slapping my butt and licking those fucking lips of yours when it wiggles"

"Shit Cedes I'm there"

"I'm cuming" she gasped, sending music to his ears

"Can you see my face" he jerked, as he imagined her pumping on him, she said nothing her noise let him know she was working through her orgasm, he smiled he'd done his job and she'd done hers very well "I needed that"

"Me too" she purred curling up with the phone as she spoke "You know what this kitty needs now?"

"One of two things" he laughed "More of me or sleep"

"And seeing as your not here?"

"Hey text me, every day" he ordered "Cedes" he called again

"What?"

"I said every day"

"I heard you" she laughed "Goodnight Sam"

"Goodnight babe" he laughed, she'd needed that, they both did, he knew she was cuddling up to her pillow thinking of him and he lay on his back thinking he needed to get up and clean up but not wanting to get rid of the memory that quick, he fell asleep just as he was, and woke up with a smile the next day

Sam was sat in a Math lesson when his phone flashed, he knew it was Cedes he uncovered in and put in on his desk, hiding it behind the person in front of him 'I had he best dream last night we went on and on and on - thank you' she'd wrote making him smile

'In math, but I'd rather be in bed with you'

'Math' she wrote with a sad face

'Mr D gave me one of his riddles, spat in his eye, too easy'

'I have a riddle' she wrote with a laughing face 'What's cute, nice and hard all over most of the time?'

'How did I become a math lesson?' he replied with a laughing face

'Always, every lesson' she sent back with kisses

'Trouble coming, later' he wrote grabbing the phone off the desk as Mr Dean started his walk about

Sam managed to keep things low key for the rest of the week, Cedes texting during the day, Tony phoning during the evening and then a welcome call from Cedes helping them chill out and find sleep quickly "You can't keep this up, you staying up till 2am to make these calls Cedes"

"I just need this right now Sam, please don't change anything"

"Okay but I'm not happy with you losing sleep all the while, if school suffers it has to stop"

"It won't"

"Hopefully it's a go next week, I'll call, just be ready"

"I'm ready" she told him before they did what they needed to do and closed the call down

 **Sam**

"How much am I grabbing for you, when you're paying me pennies?" Sam laughed asking Tony as they sat in the Benz one evening, he was seriously fed up of the girls at school trying anything to get him to be unfaithful to Cedes, his mind was starting to betray her in the worst way already, and the only thing keeping him fighting with everything he had was the clear fact that he actually loved her. She wasn't even giving him time to seriously think about anything else the phone line was hot with sex texts, they were both making promises for what was going to happen when they finally got back together the only thing missing was when that was going to be

"Seriously?" Tony asked, there was no question out of bounds that Tony wouldn't answer, for him they'd over the weeks become real friends

"Serious how much?"

"Your first pick up was about $20K street value around $60K"

"Really?"

"Yeah" Tony laughed "You're grabbing around $60K now, do the math, and today I guess you go up a notch so you better have learned how to fire that gun, you're playing with the big boys now Sam, this grab gives our boss a lifetime of comfort $200K, bringing maybe four, hopefully five times that once it's on the street, I was going to come with you but I've been called in, they know you now so I'm trusting you to bring it home

"Not a problem but doesn't my cut get bigger for the risk?"

"For what you do it's standard rate"

"Okay" Sam sat wondering how $1m translated into $500 for him, Tony stretched up and took his earphone out to listen to his tunes

"What is this?" he laughed

"Bazzi, he's good you should check him out" Sam laughed

"That's love stuff" he nudged him jeering "You in love?"

"I might be"

"Who with?"

"Mind your business" he got up telling him

"Okay" he laughed for Sam's cheek "We good?"

"Yeah" he opened the door telling him, climbing out the Benz, his math done and his mind wondering

"Your on the clock as usual" Tony told him as he shut the door and walked to his bike

Sam grabbed the parcel as usual, left without any hitches and got outside, there was no need to breath he was comfortable doing this, in a position of trust as he looked down at the parcel, he could get to Atlanta today grab Cedes and sell this stuff to keep them alive, get them set up, that was possible "This makes it possible" he looked at the parcel in his hand before he jumped on the bike ready to make the journey back, hearing his phone buzz

'Sucking on a blow pop right now, I so wish it was you' he read smiling at her game

'Guess what I'm thinking? Clue, it involves my tongue and you naked' he replied laughing as he saw her shiver in front of him

'You, that's not fair' she wrote back with a sulky face

'It's fair you made me hard, I made you shiver' he wrote back with a smiling face

'Speak again when my lollipops finished' she sent back with a laughing face

"That was the sign" he told himself smiling when he read her last message, just then he'd made a decision, he knew what he was going to do, that sign told him this was God's plan

He'd never rode a bike so fast, he got home, threw some underwear, a couple of tops and some jeans into a bag, grabbed his passport, driving licence, his $4k savings and he was off, he'd made the 30 minute journey to the coach station before Tony even called his phone "Traffic" he told him switching his work phone off and throwing it in the nearby bin, found a stand paid for his ticket and he was checked and sitting waiting for his departures before Tony could get seriously worried.

 _'What the fuck are you doing?'_ he sat asking himself looking around as the bag holding over $1m worth of snow and his passport pressed against the bench he sat on, constantly reminding him it was there _'What the hell are you doing?'_ he kept asking but his body would make no move to change it's mind he'd promised her he was coming. He didn't breathe again until he was on the coach travelling with this suspicious substance in his hand luggage, no thought of the consequences of getting caught with that amount of drugs in his possession. It was about 8pm and wherever Cedes was he didn't know if she'd be free right now, but he was going to send a text asking as he sat watching the road go by taking distance away between them with each turn of the wheel 'What are you doing?' he texted her

'Getting the brats to bed'

'I'm on my way, be with you in two days, be ready'

'Ready, excited and ready' she wrote back

Conversation was full of excitement and planning as he made the two day journey up to see her "We need a song, all the most successful runaways have a song" he laughed as they talked late that first afternoon

"A song?" she asked surprised for his random request in the middle of their conversation

"Yeah something that binds us together even in the hardest of times, makes us smile you know, and remember times like these, what we gave up to be together and stuff"

"Is my man getting romantic on me?" she chuckled

"I need you to get romantic too, a song" his voice changing to not joking tone

"Okay" she stopped laughing "What do we want it to say about us?"

"Everything, it has to be us now, so it brings us back to now, in the worst times"

"We want to be together right now, just holding you, that would be ... heaven right now" she told him feeling a bit blushed for telling him her true feelings

"I need you too Miss Pretty" he chuckled "So damn much" he looked around the coach at the quiet or sleeping people around him "Song, there's no booty calling going on right now"

"Okay" her voice filled with disappointment

"How about that one, you know **_Hey lady, let me tell you why, I can't live my life, without you_** " he sang

 ** _"Every time I see you walking by I cannot breathe, you don't understand but in time you will_ _"_** she sung laughing knowing he'd chose that one because they'd had their first dance to it at one of their cookouts

"I love that song, so old school" he laughed

"I know you do, that has to be our song"

 ** _"I must make you understand, I want to be your man"_** he sang "Remember that cookout?"

"Do I remember" she giggled

"I so wanted to kiss you when we finished dancing"

"All eyes were on us Tony was daggering, trying to tell us to stop without words" she laughed

"I think he was jealous"

"There's never been anything like that between us, he's a drug dealer"

"Yeah" Sam acknowledged, without knowing it she'd brought his mind back to the parcel in his back pack

"Parents were all over the place, and Marcus was spotting us up anyway, we had no damn chance" she laughed "Sam?" she asked when she didn't hear him "Are you still there?"

"Pardon?" he dragged his mind back to the conversation

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing I just miss you that's all" his voice still full of uncertainty "And I just ran away from home, I guess it's just hit me"

"I'm sorry"

"Cedes give me a minute, I'll call you back" he put the phone down, he needed to take in what he'd actually done

 **California**

"Sam" Tony shouted down the phone to no answer, sweat pouring off him at the fuck up he was about to answer for "Get out there and find him" he ordered the guys, looking at the two guys standing next to him "Go" he told them fanning them away

"But Boss" one of them looked at him "Never leave you alone, that's our orders"

"Just get the fuck out there and find him, there'll be no fucking me to protect if we don't" he told them watching them step off before he stepped off too, there was a lot at stake he'd got maybe three hours before word got to who mattered

Three hours in and he got the dreaded call with no answers to give "Tony" the familiar voice echoed down the phone "Talk to me what's happening I get a call from Ricky telling me my business is fucked up on your end and I'm still waiting for you to call to tell me what the fuck is going on"

"Yes, we're just looking for the runner, nobody's reported anything yet but we're on it"

"An hour, I want word in an hour" the voice told him clicking the phone off before he could say anything else, he was sweating hard wondering how he was going to cover this one over

"The pick up said he left as normal and he wants his Money" one of his men told him yet again, as they linked back up for update "No sign of him, no police nothing"

"You said that a fucking hour ago" Tony slapped him away saying

"Boss" the man shouted as Tony took his gun out, pressure showing on his face

"Where the fuck is he?" Tony asked no one in particular, waving his gun around angry before he put it away, sending everyone back out while he sat around waiting for the hour to be up to report back, everyone was in conversation about him trusting that Sam too soon, he knew he had too, but they knew each other, or he thought they did, the phone rung and everyone went quiet

"Times up" the voice told him, he looked around his group of men, all willing to fight for him, but this fight was one he'd have to do on his own, he was the Boss in this situation "To the house, you know who wants to see you"

"Twenty minutes" was all he said hanging the phone up "hey" he called one of the kids from school he saw running down the street "What's your name?" he held his shoulder asking him

"Homer" the boy told him his voice shaky

"I see you at school sometime, you know Sam Evans right?" he asked the kid as he gripped his top hard enough for him not to be able to get away

"Yeah" he told him

"Go knock his door find out where he is and come back to me quick" he told him slapping a Bill in his hand "Be cute about it" he told him before letting him go and getting up to make his journey to the big house, tapping his crew as he passed them saying goodbye, for all intents and purposes he was doing his last walk

 **Sam's House**

"Mrs Evans" Homer smiled as she opened the door "My name's Homer, Sam and I said we'd hang out is he in?"

"No he left a note saying he was doing football tonight" she smiled back at him, his hair parted, shoes shining and smile beaming, she pictured him standing at the front of a choir singing his heart out every Sunday and was happy Sam had found a friend finally "I expect him no later than 10pm"

"Okay, thanks Mrs Evans, nice to meet you" he bent his head telling her before walking away, Ann stood smiling as she watched the boy walk away, concerned for the chill she felt as soon as she shut the door

 **California**

"He's at football" Homer told Tony as he passed him, not stopping to talk, Tony got home and pushed the door open, he'd usually be smiling as his Mom came into view but the look on his face made her know something was wrong "Mom I got trouble, I can't tell all but I fucked up and now Boss wants to see me"

"How much are we talking?"

"Could be up to $1m street value" he looked at her knowing she was going to go into him

"How the fuck are you putting that much business in the hands of a single runner?"

"He was good, asked no questions, never fucked up, I trusted him"

"And now he's fucked you over" she looked at him upset "I'll come with you, they owe me, this family, they'll at least listen" she got up grabbing her jacket "Come on" she told a reluctant Tony

They got to the house minutes later she stood outside encouraging Tony to talk up for himself, make promises to not stop until the runner was found, and admit no fault "May" Ann greeted her at the door "Come in, to what do we owe the pleasure?"

"Tony has a meeting" May looked at her saying "Not a good one, I though I'd support him"

"I'll support you too, we're coming from way back" she smiled hugging her "Hazel" she looked behind May surprised to see her coming across from her house towards theirs, they tried hard to keep out of each other's lives, the business their husbands were in didn't afford for everyone knowing connections

"Hi" she smiled walking towards them "May" she said surprised as she hugged her "And Tony" she cupped his face before kissing his cheek

"What are you doing here?" Ann asked as she hugged her

"H told me he had a meeting with Tony and I know they're going to try and bully him, I wanted to support him" she looked up at Tony smiling "You do no wrong in my eyes" she cupped his face again telling him

"Thanks" he smiled at her, he loved the way she always treated him like the little boy she didn't have

"But you do know shit's got to hit for someone, whoever's fucking with our shit needs to suffer" Hazel told him her voice serious

"I agree" Ann told her as they all walked towards the study

Ann just opened the door and walked in, the rest followed "We have the fucking army" H laughed as he watched the three women walk in surrounding Tony

"Just like the old days" D smiled looking on "Except T, God rest his soul" he said as everyone crossed their chest with a cross and looked up, followed with a hail Mary

"Yes" H echoed as they all took a moment "Tony we have business"

"Yes"

"Your standing here instead of laying on a slab right now because we regard you as family, you're your Dad's namesake, he did that for a reason and we will always respect that, so tell us what the fuck happened?"

"A misjudgement of character Uncle, I know where to look I have my guys on it right now, all ears are on the ground, no way can he shift that load without noise, even if he cuts it up he'll be selling on our patch, we'll know"

"I don't just want you to know boy, I want this guy gone, everyone needs to get the message nobody fucks with us and gets away with it" D told him

"Gone?" Tony asked wondering if he should tell the truth right now

"Gone, that's an order" D confirmed

"Okay" Tony told him ready for business, he knew he would never be the one to carry that out, but he also knew that none of them would have hesitated to knock his legs into next year, including his own Mother, if they knew that he'd allowed Sam to get involved in the business without having a conversation with any of them first, he needed time to work this out and find Sam

 **Sam**

He was just seven hours away from home now, they'd had one proper stop so they'd made ground, it was 9.45pm on Friday night and he knew they'd be expecting him home soon, if there was one thing he knew his Dad would knock shit out of him for, it was worrying his Mom, he took his phone out to make the call "Mom" he called when she answered her Mobile

"Sam don't tell me you're going to be late not tonight, your Dad's got enough going on" his Mom told him as all three women stood in the kitchen of her house listening

"What's going on?" he asked concerned

"Nothing for you to worry about" she told him "What did you want?"

"I just called to say I haven't run away not like that, I just need to do something, I'll be away for a while and once I get to where I need to be I'll call you"

"What are you talking about?"

"Mom I'm fine I just don't want you worrying, I'm fine"

"Come home Sam, you're Dad will be..."

"He'll be mad if you're worried, don't worry Mom"

"Another day, I'll give you one more day and then I want you back here, do you hear me?"

"I'll call you Mom bye" he told her cutting the call

His Mom stood in the middle of the kitchen looking at her friends "It's been a funny day" she looked at the phone telling them "Sam says he's gone on some mission"

"What mission?" Hazel asked

"If I knew that I'd understand how his damn mind works, I swear he's still in love with Mercedes" she laughed "That would just be so strange our kids getting together don't you think?"

"Well they got all the way to bed with this crush thing, Heath and Daniel tried to tell us it was" Hazel added

"What they slept together?" May asked shocked "When Tony showed an interest H was all for cutting his balls off and he let Sam get all the way to bed with his interest?"

"They were sly, secretive, pretended to be friends, but we nipped it in the bud, sent her off to Zina" Hazel told her

"How is Zina, I miss my girl?" May asked

"Still with those fucked up men" Hazel replied "But she's getting sorted out, Martin's down there keeping an eye"

"Martin" Ann drooled "God I used to swoon over him"

"Lucky for you, you actually fell in love with D or that fine piece of man would be dead right now, regardless of him being Tony's brother" May laughed

"He really is one lucky bastard" Ann laughed, the others joining in

The ladies eventually finished their laughing, catching up and drinks before they parted company, they'd chosen to live the life they lived, they knew who their husbands were and that was the main reason they'd never moved out of the neighbourhood, they ran it for as far as a tank of gas could take you in any direction out of there and they needed to keep their ears to the ground.

 _ **Tony Senior (Flashback)**_

Tony their third wheel had taken the fall when they went to war to take over the patch from some thugs that were selling poison to the neighbourhood, killing the people and the profits at an alarming rate, he'd taken a bullet for May who'd got in the way during a shoot out, she was pregnant with Tony at the time, the whole thing sent her into labour and Tony lived long enough to set eyes on his boy and name him as his name sake telling everyone to respect his family always as D and H promised to look after them for as long as they were alive.

Marcus their eldest had joined the business at the tender age of 12 he'd got his Dad's footsteps so much in his blood he could taste it, but he got greedy quick and started getting clumsy about things, he was caught and found guilty on so many different felonies he had no choice but to do time, once he tasted the benefits of incarcerated life he was in and out, the cops didn't give him an inch, they wanted one of them and Marcus just made it so easy for them no matter how much D, H or any of the women talked to him.

 ** _End of flashback_**

"Sam's staying with Homer for a few days" Ann popped her head through the study door telling D closing the door quickly before he could ask questions, praying that Sam listened to her and returned the following day

Two days later as his eyes opened D called to Ann "My boys back today yeah, I miss him?"

"I said a few days" she called back taking her phone out to make the call to him to make sure that happened, getting no answer she left a message

"He's got school tell him to come back today, and ask me before you say yes to shit like that again"

"Okay" she rolled her eyes for the flack she was taking for her son

 **Atlanta**

 **Sam & Cedes**

Sam jumped off the coach, it had been a long two days and other than eat every now and again, chatting with Cedes every chance she got to call him, all he'd done was sleep, he stretched before taking his phone out to call Cedes again "I'm here" he told her a laugh in his voice "I'm going to find a motel, take a shower and then grab a cab, swing by and get you, it's 10pm say in an hour"

"I'm ready" she told him cutting the call off to make sure everything was in place

"Mercedes" her Aunt called through

"Yes" she got up to go see what was happening

"Your Dad's on the phone"

"My Dad, so late, what phone?" she asked knowing there was no phone in the house

"Uncle Martin's"

"Oh so he knows Martin's number?" she asked sarcastically

"Your Dad's on the phone girl, stop with the questions" she snapped handing the phone out to her

"Daddy" she sarcastically smiled at her Aunt taking the phone, she really didn't want to speak to him, he'd forgotten about her for the past eight weeks, sent her to some crack infested den to sleep on a fucking nasty bed in an empty room and her Mom hadn't even packed any of the things she knew she liked, there was a line between punishment and cruelty and they'd crossed it

"Don't use that tone with me young lady" he snapped, she rolled her eyes and made a weak false apology "I was going to ask how you were and if you were ready to come back but I guess you've learned nothing"

"Come back?" she asked

"Yeah there's some stuff going on at home and I just needed you home"

"End of term"

"That makes sense, I'll leave it till then" he told her "Sam's gone missing have you seen him?" he laughed

"Seriously?" she gasped "Who's looking for him?" she didn't get an answer "What's happened Daddy?"

"He isn't really, I just needed to see if this thing between you guys was over, apparently not" he huffed

"That wasn't nice" she moaned her mind in overdrive as she wondered why her Dad just happened to say that in the first conversation they'd had in two months and on the day Sam had arrived in Atlanta, something was wrong, she quickly finished the call and waited on Sam to make contact "Hey" she smiled when he called "Are you here?"

"I'm outside come on" he told her just over the promised hour

"I'm coming" she told him making her way out the back door to get to him, dragging her small case she walked as quickly as she could around the house, he smiled at her walking towards him with her black, just above the knee, A-line dress and denim jacket, with her hair tied back in a neat bun, the cabbie popped the bonnet and threw her case in it while she jumped in excitedly Sam's mind was doing it's own thing all he could hear was those familiar lyrics playing out in front of him **_'The way that dress fall off you is amazing, love a miracle, a beautiful creation, baby, come a little closer let me taste it, you came a little closer, now you're shaking'_** "I missed you" she leaned across and kissed him, smiling as he pulled her to him pecking her on the lips before pulling away to look into her eyes, he was happy again

"Lets get out of here" he looked at the driver and gave his instructions to get back to the hotel, putting her hand where he needed it to be just then, they sat wrapped in each others arms, whispering, their bodies bursting to be connected Cedes giggling as he nibbled on her ear sending waves down her body "Thanks" Sam told the driver as they paid, got out the cab and walked towards the dim neon light reading Motel

"Sam" she turned to him her face serious "We need to change our plans, Daddy called me this evening"

"And?" his face screwed for the pending change to his plan he was hearing

"He hasn't called all the time I've been here, then tonight he called and asked if I'd seen you, then he tricked me into telling him I still had feelings for you, I just think this is the first place they'll look for you, we need to go tonight"

"I have a car, I mean I brought a car, it's kind of tatty but it works"

"A car, where did you?...I don't care, let's throw everything in it and just drive"

"Okay" he grabbed her hand walking towards the motel, grabbed his bag from the room before they walked a way down the road to the car he'd brought

"It's not that bad" she told him as they looked around it "Actually it's fine for our first car" she laughed opening the drivers door to sit in "I don't have no Mama, no family either" she looked up at him giggling

"Hey I'm your family" he replied using his best Clyde impersonation

"You know what, when we started out I thought we was really going somewhere, this... is it I guess, we're just going yeah? her eyes fluttering as she tried her best to be his Bonnie

"I love you" he jumped in the car smiling for her grabbing the front of his T-shirt

"I love you too" she pulled him towards her closing her eyes so she could take in everything, as they kissed for as long as they needed to

They'd kept restraint as long as they wanted to, the road was dark and desolate, he pulled her across the seat her chest resting on his, her legs splayed across him, his mouth moving around her face grabbing hold of her ear lobe peppered kisses leading down to her neck, he smiled when she lifted her chin to give him access and her hand went down to undo his offending trousers "I missed you" she whispered in his ear as her hands moved his t-shirt up his body for her lips to kiss his bare chest, her nails raking at his skin her need for him to be inside her apparent.

She eased off him enough for him to wiggle his trousers down to release himself, taking no time in filling herself with him, he signed at the feeling "God, I missed you too" his satisfied voice gaspingly told her

"Don't talk just..."

"Just?" he asked opening his eyes at her unusual request

"Fuck me Sam, just fuck me" her head flicked back before she lunged forward and buried it in his neck, her noise those of pain while her body told him she was getting pleasure, he was listening but he'd gotten so turned on with her telling him what she wanted he was giving it to her and blowing his own mind at the same time "Sam I'm cu..." he heard holding her hips down on him, that was his thing, she just needed to call his name, let him know that he was the only person in the world that could give her satisfaction at that moment, that was all he needed, he was done

"You feel so good" he kissed her nose as he sat feeling her clenching rhythm relaxing around him, that seemed to go on forever until her body shivered and she relaxed against him

 ** _'Hey lady, let me tell you why,_ I can't live my life, without you (aw baby) every time I see you walking by I cannot breathe, you don't understand but in time you will'** she hummed as she lay on his chest taking them being them again _in_

 _ **'I must make you understand, I want to be your man (I wanna be your man), I want to be your man (yes I do yeah yeah)'**_ he hummed pulling her closer to him as they sat reflecting, getting ready to face the world alone, together "Let's go" he finally broke the comfortable silence, lifting her head up off him

"We need to find somewhere to wash up"

"First stop" he told her lifting her off him and moving himself out the car to go round to the drivers side, zipping his trousers up at the same time

They drove for hours before Cedes' eyes closed and he was watching the road alone, he was happy, this was his plan, God's plan, and it was coming together, he didn't know how he was going to explain the drugs to her but he'd made his mind up, even if she told him to throw it away that was fine, he'd do it. Nearly ten hours of driving and he was happy they could stay at a motel for the night, he found one along the way and booked them in, it was almost morning but they could sleep the day away and travel by night, they were working on their own time

 **Ohio**

"Cedes" he sat in the car nudging her awake "Come on I've got keys" he dangled them in front of her face "Bath" he tried to entice her saying "Hot water all over your sexy skin" he whispered in her ear "Babe **"**

"What?" she finally responded

"Motel I have keys, we can have a bath"

"Bath?" she rubbed her eyes asking looking around to get her bearings "Sam" she smiled when he came into focus "Sorry I... forgot" she sat up "Bath" she waved her pointed finger at him agreeing that was their first stop

"You've slept like a log" he told her as he opened the car door to get out and grab their bags

"You always put me to sleep" she smiled at him

"Do you want to go in the bath first?" he asked when they got into the room, throwing their bags down, he sat on the bed watching her get her things together needing sleep but not wanting it to come just yet.

"You go first" she threw a towel at him instructing

"Okay" he got up and had a bath coming out a while later with a towel covering his wet hair and nothing else "Hurry up" he told her nodding towards the bathroom, she didn't speak she just got up and went to the bathroom, coming out wrapped in a towel twenty minutes later "Take the towel off" he ordered, half asleep as she walked into the room

"What?" she asked nervously

"The towel take it off" she quickly dropped it on the floor an jumped on the bed "You shy?" he asked

"No cold" she giggled kissing him on the cheek as she landed on the bed, and lay next to him pulling the covers up

"I was hoping no covers" he pushed them off "I could get you warmed up" he moved towards her aiming for her lips, he managed to grab her lower lip into his mouth and sucked on it before invading her mouth and pulling her towards him

"It's cold" she sat up and pulled the covers back over her telling him

"Okay" he lay watching her wondering what was going on, smiling because he knew he was going to win this argument at some point he grabbed her round the waist pulling her to him their body's connected from the chest all the way down "Cedes" he looked at her his face puzzled

"What?" she looked at him guilt on her face

"What?" he asked her pushing her away from him "What the fuck, why didn't you... are you trying to fucking trap me?"

"What?" she pulled her body further away from his grip, watching as he jumped out of bed

"Who's the fuck is that?" he pointed at her asking

"Yours, what the hell do you mean by that?" she looked up at him "What the fuck are you calling me?" she jumped up to kneel in the bed asking him

"Your fucking pregnant, you didn't take a second in all the fucking conversations we had to tell me that shit, and now you've got us on the run with a fucking baby in the mix, I didn't plan for this you'll have to get rid of it"

"What?" she gasped at his words

"And stop with the fucking what questions, what the hell did you think was going to happen here, some sort of happy ever after shit?"

"I just didn't want..."

"Get rid of it Cedes, that's the end of it" he grabbed his jeans and a t-shirt before walking out the motel room

"Sam" she shouted after him, her voice broke into a bawl he could hear through the door

He stood outside the door listening to her cry, tears in his eyes for the situation he'd found himself in, how was she going to be pregnant and keep that away from him? What the hell was she thinking. This changed everything for him if she even decided to keep it, he'd demanded she get rid of it but his heart knew it was anger speaking, he'd maybe never speak to her again if she chose that option, he smiled knowing that she wasn't choosing that otherwise she'd have done it already. Suddenly he was at the car looking at the seat they'd made love in hours earlier, that's why there was pain in the pleasure for her, he was hurting the baby, his baby. A guilt came over him, instead of being supportive he'd come out all spoilt brat thinking about himself and what he stood to lose in all this "If this is God's plan" he locked the car and made his way back to their motel room.

Mercy sat looking at the door, knowing this was her fault, she'd known for months but she'd totally blanked it out, pretended it wasn't happening, scared on all levels, she'd told him a lie when she said she was using contraception, she wasn't even thinking pregnant she felt so naïve about the whole thing. She'd had the conversation in her head, the same one he'd just had with her asked herself if she'd done it to trap him, told herself they were too young, they hadn't even been together that long, not long enough to be talking stuff that was going to impact on the rest of their lives, but who the fucking father was, she'd never thought he'd think that.

 **California**

"Ann" Daniel called as he walked in the door "Where's Sam tell him I want to see him in my study"

"He hasn't got back yet" she shouted through the house

"What's going on?" he doubled back popping his head round the living room door asking her

"He..." she looked around at him before facing forward again and rolling her eyes for what this was going to turn into "He didn't say he was staying with Homer he just asked me not to worry and said he'd let me know what was going on in a few days"

"So where is he?"

"I don't know"

"He's 16 years fucking old, we know what this world is, the threat he could be under and you hold this shit for two damn days, Ann..." he held his breath considering what he wanted to say "Sometimes I wonder about you, have you ever loved him?"

"How dare you" she jumped up at him shouting "Of course I fucking love him and I trust him to look after himself, I've worked just as fucking hard as the next man to keep him out of this rat race of a fucking life you've set up for us" she caught herself getting out of control and stopped "I trust him" she told her husband remembering who she was talking to

"We better pray nothing happens to him" he left the room grabbing his phone "H" he called when he picked up "Sam's missing, Ann didn't think I needed to... really?" he asked at H's interruption, he stood listening for a while before walking back towards the lounge "H seems to think he's gone off to find Mercedes"

"Atlanta?" Ann asked watching as Daniel finished his conversation with Heath

"Yeah, sorry I freaked, I shouldn't have said that about you not loving him, I know better" he walked back to her kissing her forehead as he spoke "Forgive me?" he flashed his puppy dog eyes at her asking

"If I had somewhere else to be..." she giggled at him

"You wouldn't want to be there" he smiled looking down as his phone rang again, he flicked it open and kissed his wife's hand as he walked away to his study "H any news?" he asked before the door shut

 **Tony**

Tony hadn't gotten any further with finding Sam, he'd just disappeared off the radar, he'd got everyone looking everywhere for him all coming back with nothing, there was no news of any drugs being sold anywhere there was just nothing "Word on the street" Clancy one of Tony's right hand men came in telling him "There's a crew have our shit" he told him as everyone jumped up at his announcement

"What have they done with Sam?" Tony asked, that was his only concern

"Didn't hear mention" Clancy shrugged his shoulders telling him

"Let's go" he grabbed his bag and headed off, the six men jumping in the waiting cars after him, this had been their soul project since Sam went missing with the stash, they didn't even know that his agenda had nothing to do with the drugs, he was on his way out he couldn't let anyone know his weakness. If this didn't work out he was going to become the enemy of everyone he called family, as bad as Marcus had ever been, he'd never heard him talk of fear of being outside the family, even now he claimed he was keeping the cops busy by keeping them away from the family "You know the drill" he told Clancy, as the cars came to a halt at the top of the road

"Back" Clancy instructed the guys in the back car, turning to the guys in the front car "Watch that door" he pointed at the front door before turning to look at Tony "If our shit is in there we're coming back with it" he stepped off

"Clancy" Tony called remembering his agenda "Nobody touches Sam" he told him looking round as Sargent, his wing man, stepped out of the car they were in "Hey" he knocked fists with Sargent feeling in his voice "Make sure nobody touches Sam"

"He's yours Boss" Sargent told him

"No I mean nobody touches him" he looked into his eyes, waiting for him to get the message

"Boss" Sargent finally told him acknowledging the order

"Let's fucking do this" Clancy told Sargent grabbing the money out Sargent's hand before walking towards the door, knocking it he took one last look at Tony before he walked in. The scene was much like any holding house they'd ever been in sparse, dark and full of arms "We're here to do business" Sargent told the Italian guy standing in front of him

"We don't usually see Tony's boys down here"

"Tony's not managing this outfit just now" Clancy told him "Business?" he cut the conversation asking him

"Here" he handed him a tightly wrapped package saying

Sargent took the package and used his knife to open it, passing it to Clancy, watching as he took some and came up smiling "He's got some good stuff" he told Sargent as the white dust hit the back of his nostril and smoothed it's way down the back of his throat before flying to his brain "Good stuff" he smiled

"Got anymore?" Sargent asked, watching as the guy signalled for his guys to bring some more, he smiled, this wasn't their missing merchendise "$25K for the lot" he told him knowing he was insulting the seller but he'd lost interest, this wasn't what or who he was looking for

"Shitting right?" the guy laughed

"It's fair for what it is, it's going to take a lot of work to get that street ready" he nodded at the packages on the table

"No fucking way, step off if you ain't got nothing better to fucking say" the dealer hissed looking at the man to his left "Wasting my fucking time" signalling for his guy to pick the packages up, looking around the room non-verbally telling his guys to get ready for action

"Hold up" Sargent waved his hands calming things down "Obviously we thought we were prepared for this game, I'll speak to Tony and get back, we can raise the money"

"You have an hour" he told them dismissing them

Sargent got outside, and stood shaking head, Tony's heart sank, it was the only lead they'd got and it was nothing, he sat wondering what he was going to say to H and D in a few hours

 **Ohio**

 **Sam & Cedes **

"Cedes" he peeped his head round the door, his face carrying a look of disgust for himself "I'm so..."

"Don't bother, I can't forgive you calling me a whore" she held her hand up at him jumping up off the bed

"I didn't call you a whore" he stepped into the room shocked at what she was saying "I was in shock I asked if..."

"I heard what you said" she snapped at him

"I'm trying to say sor..."

"I said I don't want to fucking hear it" she shouted across the room, before marching into the bathroom and slamming the door

"Cedes" he stood tapping the door trying to get her to open it "Cedes, please at least let me try to say sorry"

"Why because you want me to hurry up and get rid of it?" she shouted through the door

"I'm not standing here talking to a fucking door, open it" he banged it, making her jump, she thought about not listening for about a second before the door sprung open "Are you going to let me apologise?"

"No" she walked past him her hands raised telling him not to touch her

He followed her around the room, trying to talk her down but everything he said seemed to set something off, he finally settled for just watching her walk around the room trying to catch her eyes so she could see how sorry he was. A few minutes into the game and he grabbed after her "Cedes" he whispered breaking the tension in the room, total silence except for the low tinny music playing on his phone "Cedes" he stretched and grabbed her arm, pulling her to him to rest her back on his chest, wrapping his left arm around her waist while his right hand went down to grab her bulging tummy firmly holding what had formed of their child "I'm sorry, I panicked" he kissed her neck, a beg in his voice. Cedes closed her eyes and took in the intimate moment, her head fell back onto his chest, she always felt secure in his arms, she knew he meant what he was saying, he'd never say it if he didn't. she lifted her head as he kissed down her neck "I love you Cedes, girlfriend for life, remember?" his left hand came up to grab her right breast squeezing it lightly as he spoke

"I remember" she turned to face him, taking his kisses **'Beautiful, beautiful life right now, beautiful, beautiful night right now, beautiful, beautiful by my side right now'** she hummed in his ear along with the song on the phone as his mouth wondered around her body, her voice telling him she was ready for sex and lots of it,

"You're getting into my Bazzi feels" he smiled as he took her kisses **_'Hey, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful angel, love your imperfections every angle, tomorrow comes and goes before you know, so I just had to let you know'_** he sang back at her before she took over "I'm sorry"

It had started with him saying sorry, but Cedes was on form, she just kept going with no sign of an end as daybreak came, they stopped only for water, he was exhausted almost to crying point, even when he said he was tired she went about taking what she wanted "Shit Cedes" he gasped having closed his eyes for what seemed like seconds to wake up to her sucking on him " _Ain't nobody else that I'd be under"_ he laughed

"It's been nearly 3 months, but if this is God's plan" she laughed

"I know but I travelled for two days, drove for nearly 12 hours and you won't let me sleep"

"After this Babe I promise"

"Promise?"

"Yep" she giggled, climbing on top of him, he slept until well into the afternoon, jumping out of his sleep at the unfamiliar surroundings, smiling when he saw Cedes sitting at the bottom of the bed

"Hey" he smiled as she turned to look at him _**"So I just had to let you know, I just had to let you know, swear to God you're beautiful"**_ he hugged her singing in her ear

" _ **Yeah**_ " she smiled back at him "We need to talk" she told him, as she sat eating a mango wrapped in his arms


	3. Chapter 3

**California**

Tony had gone way past his deadline with D, there was nothing coming forward and he was at the point where he knew the only way out of this was to come clean so that D could find his missing son

Heath had been on the phone to Daniel and they'd worked out that Sam might have gone to visit Mercedes, Heath had called and spoken to her and he was suspicious of her responses, she was a bad liar, a trait she didn't get from him. He'd called Martin who had nothing to report life was as usual there, everyone was in bed.

The following morning Martin's update told Heath she'd gone off to school early, as she'd said, he instructed Martin to collect her and he would call her later, school finished and Martin stood at the car waiting for her to come out, calling Heath when she didn't appear

"Her friends say she didn't get to school this morning" Martin told an angry Heath

"What the fuck..." he lingered off, the only thing saving Martin right now was that he was on the other end of a phone "She's been missing for at the very least 9 fucking hours and I haven't been informed?" he asked "And don't give me any lame fucking excuses, I asked you to watch her"

"We'll look for her Boss" Martin told him waiting for Heath to say something else or close the call

"If she's not found within the hour I want everyone fucking dead, there's no point" Heath threw the phone down, he felt helpless, there was just one precious thing they had in the world and he had no idea where she was, worse, how was he going to explain that to Hazel

"It'll be them running off together to prove a point" Daniel told him, sat in the chair across from Heath's desk, getting his phone out to call Sam, he'd got the gist of Heath's call, he slammed it shut, angry for getting no answer even though it was ringing "They're together" he told him

"Tony's here to see you guys" Hazel popped her head round the door telling them

"This had better be good news" Heath looked at the door waiting for Tony to make an entrance "Where's my package?"

"Uncle" he looked at the two men rolling their eyes for his sob story about to descend on them "I have a confession, it's a big one" he stood shaking telling them

"Big enough for you to come up in here without your Mom?" Daniel laughed

"It's big" his body started to move without his say so, he was so on edge for this "It's about Sam" he looked at the two men as their faces drained of blood

"What about him?" Daniel got up asking "Is he..." he trailed off looking back at Heath as he spoke

"No" Heath walked towards him saying "He's run away"

"Yeah he's run away" Tony told him backing away from the two men coming towards him "With the package, the runner, it was him" his eyes wide with fear

"Get out" Heath shouted at him as he grabbed Daniel to stop him from gabbing his gun, Tony moved quick, but he knew that wasn't the end of it, he'd have to go back in once his Uncle had been talked down a bit, and face the consequences

"What's happening?" Hazel walked towards Tony, asking of the shouting coming through the door "Your not still stressing over that parcel, you know something would have happened already, if they thought anything?" she grabbed hold of his arm

"No, it's not that" he half smiled at her about to elaborate as the door opened

"Tony" Heath called giving Hazel a look that told her something was wrong

"What's wrong?" she asked Heath but got no answer "I'm talking to you" she stepped towards him

"We don't want you worrying" Heath told her

"Worrying, what's wrong with Mercedes, have they found her?" she stepped past Heath and Tony into the study "What's happened to Mercedes?" she looked at Daniel asking, knowing if Ann was here she'd be recovering from the hardest slap right now

"We're sorting it Hazel" Daniel told her looking at Heath, pissed for the women getting involved, before they had anything positive to tell them

"I said nothing" he put his hands up in his defence telling him

"Can you call Ann and Mary please Hazel" his voice level compared to his boiling temper, he knew it was more than worth his marriage to start blocking his wife out of things, he could deny her nothing, she was his absolute weakness

 ** _Daniel & Ann's Flashback _**

They were just 20 when they met at her parents house in Hollywood, he'd been up there doing some security work fitting a system he knew he was going to fix so he could rob the place later. She came out the house just as he was setting the last camera of it up and smiled at him, he couldn't help but stare, Martin, was supposed to be his wing man but he left him to it and went into full on flirt with her, he was working but he was watching her reaction to his friend's little brother at the same time. He knew Martin was playing, he'd got a massive crush on Heath's sister Zina, he was just too scared to do anything about it while Heath was so hot headed about her with those random men she kept bringing to him, he got used to seeing them losing them fingers and toes, but Heath liked Martin and had no problem with him courting Zina, Daniel had just never told Martin that

He could tell Ann was swept, or he'd thought he could until she shouted up at him, he had to double check when he saw she was standing almost under the ladders he was up "Do you want a cold drink?" she asked, smiling up at him like an angel, while Martin stood still talking to her, his words falling on deaf ears

"Please" he'd said wondering where that came from, that wasn't a word he used, Martin even looked at him strange, as he stood still on the ladder watching her ass swing away, she hadn't even asked him what he wanted

By the end of the drink, and the conversation that came with it, he'd decided he was doing a proper job on the house, he'd actually got a number from her and there was something there, he felt it, this woman was his, he believed in all that, the only phrase he ever remembered his Dad saying was God's plan and he'd tested it so many times he knew it to be true.

Martin and he had argued of course, but in the end they left it up to her, by the time they officially got together Tony, Heath and he had already decided that alarm systems wasn't bringing in the money quick enough, and soon after they hatched a plan to take on the drug world after Heath's drug addicted brother got taken by the poisonous stuff the local dealer was sending out. There was a full on drug war in the middle of California fairly small time compared to stuff they'd heard about since but they controlled that scene after that

Ann wasn't happy when she found out what his new line of business was, but hooking up with Zina, Mary and Hazel helped, they quickly formed a beautiful friendship that weathered every storm they'd ever been through with these men they'd finally decided to allow to be their husbands, just before the end of the war. Daniel was the hardest of the trio always demanding total loyalty from his crew members, even up to vetting their girlfriends, he covered East Side and his recruitment was harsh, many guys got shot, injured or backed out of his squad opting for a location change and going West Side to Tony's patch. But when he was around Ann he was the gentlest lamb you'd ever want to meet, she was the love of his entire life, sealed by the arrival of Sam the absolute apple of both their eyes, he gave up front line work for his family and vowed to Ann, Sam would know nothing about that life, now here he was having broke that promise as well as tell her his life was at risk

 ** _End of Flashback_**

Hazel was on the phone summoning Mary and Ann something was wrong with her baby and she needed answers and then action, serious action, it seemed like seconds before all three ladies were standing in Heath's study waiting for an explanation as to the whereabouts of Sam "We're ready to hear the full story" Daniel who'd been standing nervously all this time said finally sitting down to find that relaxed posture he needed to show Ann right now, the look he gave Tony indicating he needed to speak, now and fast

 **Atlanta**

"What the fuck do you mean she's not there" Zina shouted at Martin, unable to understand what he was telling her

"She left early this morning Boss told me to pick her up and when I got there, as I said, she hadn't been there" he sat heavy on the chair telling her

"So what have you done about it?"

"I've got the guys out asking questions" Martin looked up at her

"So fucking stupid, I remember why I said no to you" she cut her eye at him hissing

"Zina" he looked around the room at the children "Not now" she looked around too and rolled her eyes before walking out the room

"Boss" Danger came to the door calling him out through the mesh, Martin nodded and moved off to see what they had "The informant tells me that the Jackson Brothers gave her a phone a while back" he whispered

"A phone?" he looked up at the man "Take me to them"

Danger didn't ask any questions he turned and headed to the car to take his Boss to see the Brothers "kit up" he nodded at Martin before they got out the car walking towards the rather large house in the suburbs. Martin was on a mission he didn't waste time, he climbed up the steps and knocked the door, smiling as an elderly woman came walking towards him

"Afternoon Mam, could I speak to one of the boys"

"Come in" the elderly lady smiled stepping out the way for them to pass

"Nana, sweetheart what are you doing, we told you not to answer the door" a well built black man ran towards her looking at Martin and Danger walking in, taking the elderly woman into a nearby room, While Martin and Danger watched another well built man come down the stairs and all four men stood in the foyer "What can I do for you?" the biggest guy looked at Danger asking

"One of you guys gave my Bosses niece a phone and now she's missing I need to know where she is?" Danger told them

"Zina's kin?" the taller men stepped forward asking concerned

"Yeah" Martin relaxed at the man's concern

"My name's Marco, she told me who she was, I met her at the telephone exchange, she'd been going there a few times and because I knew who she was, Zina's niece and stuff, I wanted her out of harms way, I gave her a phone"

"And that was it?" Martin asked

"I top it up when she waves to me, that's it, we don't want any trouble with your crew" Marco backed away from them saying "You have my word, I know nothing else other than my number is in her phone because I put it in"

"You have her number?" Martin asked seeing a glimmer of hope

"No Sorry I don't"

"Not good news Marco" Danger shook his head telling him "Anything else you can find out?"

"If she went out of town I guess"

"Do that for us" Martin butted in before Danger could say anything else, they stood waiting while Marco made some calls

"She was picked up by a taxi with a young boy in it and taken to a hotel some 16 miles away, early hours of the morning 3am or there abouts" Marco told them

"Name of the hotel?" Danger asked

" Western Inn" he replied

"Come on" Martin told Danger, shaking hands with their hosts before leaving the house destined for the Western Inn

 **Ohio**

"Yeah talk" Sam sat up in bed giving her his full attention "How pregnant are you?"

"My guess is maybe five months could be more"

"So you haven't been to see a doctor or anything?"

"But I know I'm pregnant Sam I can feel it moving" she looked at him waiting for him to say something negative "I was never getting rid of it, and I guess I'm prepared to do this alone if I have to" she huffed

"Prepared to do this alone with no health care, no money, nowhere to damn well live, nothing?"

"I did it on my own for five months already"

"Cedes I'm sorry but you need to grow the fuck up, this is a life we're talking about, it's a little thing that's going to take over our fucking lives, you've given us no choice about that now, and I'm not saying I don't want it, just that we didn't even get to have the conversation, so don't blow up about my shit now, you've had five months, I've had a few hours"

"So what are you feeling?"

"Truth?" he looked at her asking "I'm fucking angry, you should have told me as soon as you thought it was possible, you told me you were on the pill, was that a lie?"

"Sorry" she gave him her puppy eyes filled with water "I really wasn't even thinking about pregnancy, I was just ..."

"...Concentrating on being 16 and getting broken, I know" his voice holding an air of sarcasm, the room filled with silence as they both reflected "So what are we going to do?"

"Well I wanted to get a boyfriend, finish school, get a job, get engaged, married, buy a fucking house and then have children" she looked at him giving his sarcasm back "But unfortunately we're right at the end of my fucking wish list, and to listen to you I did it all my damn self"

"I'm not saying that"

"Neither am I, not really" she sighed "I've been scared about this for nearly five months Sam, I didn't plan it, I don't want to trap you or anything like that, it really was an accident"

"Don't say that Cedes, I don't want our child to think they were an accident"

"We can't live in a motel for the rest of our lives" she rested her head on her hand fed up

"We can't live on a project, we'll be separated"

"I didn't think past us being together" she sighed

"I didn't either" he crawled up the bed to where she was, hugging her "But I know I love you and we'll do this together no matter what, girlfriend for life remember?"

"I remember" she rested her head back onto his chest, taking in the only feeling she thought she'd ever need to get through this life they'd chosen, his arms around her making her feel safe "I love you too" she smiled as his hand cupped their baby bump, his touch telling her everything was going to be alright

"If this is God's plan for us we have to walk in faith" he told her

"You really sound like my Dad" she laughed

"My Dad says it too" He chuckled squeezing her harder

 **California**

Tony looked around the room, he'd created this mess and he needed to be prepared to take the flack "So" he breathed heavy, looking at his Mom for support "Sam came to me asking me to help him make some money, it took a while but in the end I agreed to cut him in..." he sat telling them the story from how Sam got involved, to their last conversation before he ran off with the drugs

"He went to find Mercedes didn't he?" Daniel asked Heath

"Martin reported back that someone fitting Sam's description went to Zina's in a taxi, he's just checking out the Motel the taxi took them to..." Heath replied

"...Hopefully they're still there" Daniel rolled his eyes telling everyone

"I doubt it, I called her, I hadn't called all the time she'd been there, if he turned up on the same day she'll put two and two together make four and run"

"Wait" Ann shouted halting the room "Are you telling me my son's run away with a shit load of drugs?" she asked everyone but her eyes were on Daniel as she spoke

"Sorry love, but that sounds exactly like what Tony's telling us"

 **Daniel & Ann**

"Sorry Heath, Hazel can I use the study a minute?" Ann looked at her hosts, her face telling them she meant business "Will you guys excuse us please?" she turned to ask everyone, watching as they left the study she looked back at Daniel "I wasn't actually asking you about Tony, you better have something more than that to tell me D, this" she pointed at him hissing "Is a marriage wrecker"

"Its not my fault, this is not my fault Ann you can't..."

"...I can and I am, I've put up with all this shit you've thrown at me, lived in this shitty town because you wanted to and the only thing I asked of you was that my son was never involved in this" she cried "And you couldn't do just that one fucking thing for me?" she asked in disbelief

"I didn't know he was.."

"D you're in the fucking business of knowing, we live here because you need to know, so how the fuck you gonna come at me with that lame shit?"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak to me like that" he snapped at her

"And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop fucking talking and find my son" he'd never seen her like this before, he was shocked

"Martin's on it" he walked towards her, grabbing her as he spoke "I'm sorry I took my eye off the ball for a second and ..." his eyes filled up as he spoke "He has a good head, he's an Evans this is in his blood, he'll be fine"

"What if he decides to sell that stuff, he has no idea of what that worlds about?" she pulled away from him asking

"Tony showed him some, we just have to hope he got it" he pulled her back to him "Trust me Ann, I'm doing everything to get our boy back, I'll die trying"

"Promise"

"Absolutely promise" he told her as he moved even closer to her kissing her eyelid before pulling her in flush against him, he needed that hug as much as she did, he had everything to lose

 **Heath & Hazel **

"What did Martin say about our girl?" Hazel asked crossing her arms in front of her chest "Actually why is Martin still alive?" she spun round asking Heath, her head leaned to the side, saying she was not in the mood to hear bull shit, Mary looking on in shock at what Hazel was suggesting about her brother-in-law

"Heath looking around saw Mary's face and grabbed Hazel's arm "Come with me" he pulled her into the lounge and closed the door "I've asked you so many times not to speak to me like that, do you know who I am?"

"Do you know who the fuck I am?" she snapped back at him

Heath looked at her, he'd never had this kind of conversation with her before she was always so accommodating "What is wrong with you?" he asked, lost for words

"What the hell is wrong with me?" she rounded on him her hands dropping to her side as her tone went up an octave "My only child is out there alone, with no fucking money and a boy, she's only got one way of surviving, Sam hasn't got a fucking clue about selling drugs, what if they decide to do some fucked up deal and get killed in the process..."

"...She's got more sense than that" Heath butted in not wanting that word attached to his only child

"Really?" she looked at him wide eyed asking, her tone past scream "I walked into out 16 year old girls bedroom and found a boy fucking the life out of her, do you think that's the actions of someone who has sense?" she asked him her voice at hysterical, her hands waving frantically

"Hazel calm down..."

"Don't tell me to calm down, tell me where the hell my daughter is" she spat, tears rolling down her face, her nose snotty she was that mad

"Sam's a good kid we know that" he walked towards his hurting wife "He'll protect her with his life, he loves her" he held her telling her

"At least you know what Sam feels, because right now I don't know what I feel" she pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, angry

"Don't say stuff like that Babe, it hurts my heart"

"You have no idea how much mine is hurting right now"

"I do" he grabbed hold of her, pulling her with force back to him, his action telling her she was going nowhere

 ** _Heath & Hazel's Flashback_**

Hazel was a girl from the projects, she'd grown up with one parent; her Mother, who worked like an animal to make sure her brother and her had food, clothes and went to school, she was super strict and had standards. She didn't get to hang out like many of her peers as a child, the church was her only outlet, one evening on the way from church, when she was 19, her Mother and Brother, who was just 15 years old got killed in a drive by, she got a grazed arm because her brother protected her and suddenly she was alone. She made friends with Mary across the way and found more work to pay the bills, on their way home one evening they met Heath and Tony two wanna be bad boys that were just too slick.

Heath came at her with his unique chat up line, and Tony quickly joined in singing **_"I wanna love you for life, cause your love is why I live"_ **walking towards them **(Jodeci)**

They laughed, she looked at Mary who quickly came back at them with a _**"Never gonna get never gonna get it, never gonna get"**_ snap making them all laugh as all four stood looking at each other and just like that they clicked **(En Vogue)**

The seven of them; Daniel, Heath, Tony, Martin, Hazel, Zina and Mary became a force to be reckoned with, convinced they'd been brought together as part of God's ultimate plan, more so when Ann joined the group a few months later. The hustlers life they led was nothing new to Hazel, Zina and Mary they'd grown up around that stuff, it was what men did to survive, they knew a bit about survival. Mary had their first baby Marcus whom everyone doted on then a few years later Heath & Hazel, Daniel & Ann and Tony & Mary got married on the same day one after the other it was a big day, followed less than a year later by a time of uncertainty as the life they'd planned changed suddenly the new business was booming, they'd taken over the smaller groups in the area and formed one large alliance, the three women had talked the men into funding a drug rehabilitation program for those that wanted to change their lives forcing them to take their business further afield. Then Tony was born minutes before his Father passed and five months later Sam came into the world followed three months later by Mercedes named after Hazel's Mom because her crying sounded like an angel, they both agreed that life had to change for them especially because of Tony's passing and life settled into quiet for them once they finally took their baby home.

They hadn't moved far from the projects but the area was more suburbia, didn't scream money but said comfort, when Ann finally agreed to move close by they brought three houses on the same street and started living their separate lives

 ** _End of Flashback_**

"Sam is a good boy" Hazel smiled up at her husband "I hope your right I pray he loves her"

"I'd put my life on the line with that statement" Heath smiled down at her kissing her nose

 **Sam & Cedes**

"We need a plan" Cedes looked round at him

"We're keeping the baby so I guess you need to visit a clinic and get things set up"

"What do you know about it?" she laughed

"That you need to go to classes, get regular checks, and buy clothes and stuff" he smiled "I listened to Mom tell her story about me enough"

"My Mom just told me it was a pain I'd never willingly go through, and said it felt like a damn bus passing between your legs through your body"

"That's horrible" he squirmed

"That's what I said" she laughed "Then she said it was like having a bleeding bum after a stubborn poo"

"We've all had those" he laughed "So first thing tomorrow we'll find a baby clinic?"

"Yeah" she reached up and turned to kiss his chin "We're having a baby" she grinned excitedly

The next morning they took the trip to the clinic found out Cedes was nearly 6 months pregnant, which meant she'd caught their first night together, and they were having a girl. They made plans all the way home, Cedes talking about toys, feeding preferences, nurseries and Sam sat smiling in silence

"Nursery?" Sam looked at her "Cedes we live in a Motel"

"We have three months to change that"

He looked at her as the car came to a halt "I have something to tell you" he told her getting out the car "Don't judge me" he walked round to open her door looking at his pocket at his ringing phone just as he opened the door

"Who's that?"

"It's" he took the phone out to look "It's my Dad"

"They'll be worried at least let them know we're alive"

"I will"

"Answer it then"

"I'll call him back" he held his hand out for her to get out the car

"You're not going to tell them where we are, are you?"

"No, it's just that.. as I said, I have something to tell you"

"This better be good" she smiled walking off into the Motel room

 **Atlanta**

"Martin" Zina shouted over the phone "Where's Mercedes?" she asked "Got me walking all over the damn world to find a phone to call your ass"

"We just got a lead and we're following it up" he told her frustrated for the way she'd spoken to him

"You better get your dumb ass over here and pick me the fuck up" she ordered slamming the phone down before he could replay

"Turn the car round and go pick Zina up" he told the driver pushing the phone in his pocket so hard it nearly ripped through it

"You alright boss?" Danger asked concerned

"Fine"

"Still hooked yeah" he laughed "That's why you let her handle you like that?"

"No" he snapped before laughing "She's a bitch,... on heat"

"And you want her to be all yours, even with all those babies?"

"Even with all those babies" he nodded "She just ain't attracted to safe guys"

"Safe?" Danger laughed "You're in a ride, fitted with guns, drugs and your best shooter what's safe about you?"

"I'd give it all up in a heartbeat"

"All of it?"

"Every last bit" he smiled as they pulled up at the house, looking back at Danger as Zina marched out the house with her three children in tow "Your carriage" he bowed as she walked past

"Stop fucking around" she pushed him in the chest saying before she stepped into the car, her children following

 ** _Martin & Zina's Flashback_ **

Martin and Zina had been childhood sweethearts in secret, she acted like a bitch whenever they were in company and he hated the fact that she made him keep their shit a secret but if that was the only way he was going to be with her he was taking it, he loved her. It wasn't the usual kind of clumsy love that you have as a child it was deep, his heart skipped a beat, fluttered, he sweat all over and for the life of him he couldn't stop his face from smiling when she walked into the room. She'd been forbidden fruit to all of them, but her Brother spent a lot of time out with his boys so they stole time at school and on the very rare occasions when she didn't have to report to her brother because he was busy with his own love life.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked one of those rare evenings when the house was empty and they'd taken to trying again to get this deed done

"Stop it, just do it" she rolled her eyes telling him

He wanted to rush and get it done before anyone threatened to walk in on them because he knew he'd be dead for sure, but his hands moved around her body like they were touching the finest crystal. He didn't know anything about love making at 15 he was an actual sex virgin himself, but her body was his finely tuned piece of perfection, they sung out at the same time in perfect harmony and they both lay there crying at the beauty they'd created in that room.

"Are you alright?" he finally wiped the water off his face to ask her

"I'm fine" she looked at him as tears bubbled out of her eyes "But we can't do that again"

"What?" he jumped up asking

"That was too much emotion, it scared me, I don't ever want to be that vulnerable again"

"I can change..."

"...Martin" she'd put her hand over his mouth stopping him from talking "It's never going to happen again" she told him kissing his lips lightly before telling him to get up and get out. They never really spoke the same again and she ran away not long after with some no good jackass. He was happy when H delegated this job to him he hadn't seen her for nearly 20 years, she'd changed, he guessed they both had, but he knew when their eyes met as she answered the door that first day he'd arrived, there was a sparkle that lit him up and something was still there.

 ** _End of Flashback_**

"So where are we heading?" Zina asked as the car moved off

"The Western Motel" Danger replied

"Thanks but I wasn't actually talking to you" Zina looked him up and down telling him before she looked back at Martin

"Zee" he rolled his eyes at her "Be nice, this guys helping"

"Sorry" she flipped her head round for a second to say "Where?" she asked Martin again

"He told you The Western Motel" he looked back at her, Danger's eyes smiling at the electric passing between these two people

"Apology accepted Miss Jones" Danger smiled openly at the two of them, everyone finally sitting back to watch the road as they made the journey to the Motel hopefully to find good news

Zina jumped out the car as soon as it reached it's destination, Martin knew that was bad news straight away "Zee" he shouted after her but she was marching across the court and pushing the reception door before he could add anything else

"Tell me which room Mercedes Jones is in?" she asked the elderly man sitting in a chair behind the desk

"Mam?" he looked up his face shocked

"Sorry" her face changed to pleasant "Could you please tell me which room a Mercedes Jones or Sam Evans occupies?"

"Oh" he looked down at his book "Mr Evans booked a room for two weeks fully paid but he left the key in the room that night and he hasn't been back"

"What did he look like?"

"Mouse blond hair, green eyes, thick lips"

"Yeah that's Sam" she smiled "Thank you" she turned to smile at Martin coming through the door "He's not here and since that way is back to town my guess is that we carry on driving that way" she pointed down the highway

"What... what about the children?" he asked looking back at the car

"You got a problem with the children?"

"No" he smiled "But they've got no clothes nothing"

"So you can be Daddy for a while" she smiled tapping his chest lightly looking into his eyes for a bit longer than she needed to "And buy them some mother fucking clothes" she snapped

"Are you flirting with me?" he smiled, she looked back over her shoulder at him as she walked swinging her hips in the biggest way with a smile on her face

 **Ohio**

"Do you want a drink before we start?" Cedes asked rushing towards the kettle

"No I just need to get this out" he sat on the bed telling her

"Okay just let me do this drink and then I'm all yours" she turned smiling at him, making her drink and finding a seat on the bed next to him "So?" she looked at him cupping her hot drink waiting for it to cool so she could drink it

"Can we just ..." he said taking the drink out of her hand and putting it on the side table next to the bed "Okay"

"Okay" she climbed on the bed and crossed her legs waiting for him to start

"You know I had to make some money to get to Atlanta and I was working at the café and stuff?" he asked watching as she nodded "Well that wasn't going fast enough for me, I was getting teased by the girls at school, they were chasing me actually and it was getting real hard and I ..."

"Who?" she asked, rolling her eyes

"Who?" he looked at her his face blank

"Who was she, who did you sleep with?"

"Nobody, it's not that, Cedes just listen"

"Okay" she sassed

"I did some work for Tony" he looked at her unable to say the words

"Work?" she asked puzzled "What you sold drugs?"

"Sort of, I did some running for him just picking stuff up and delivering and stuff"

"Sam" she gasped, tears springing to her eyes at the thought of it "I made you do that" she cried

"No I did it because I needed to see you, to be with you, if anyone's to blame it's your parents for sending you away"

"Did you get caught?"

"No I didn't" he just about got out before she pulled him to her and hugged him "Sorry"

"It's fine" he grabbed hold of her not wanting to say anymore right now, but his conscience wouldn't allow it "There's more Cedes" he let go of her and got off the bed, walking over to the cupboard where their bags were stored "I stole this" he took the parcel out the bag and showed it to her "It's worth a lot Tony told me"

"What is it?" she asked as he walked over to her with the parcel in his hand

"It's snow, and I guess I thought we could live off it, for a while anyway, a long while, but now we have this baby, no home, no family and I guess I need to do something big to get us some money to at least find somewhere to live" he sat looking at her "Tony told me this was worth around $400k the average house in Ohio costs around $175K with fixing that up, buying stuff for the house, the baby I reckon we could maybe, with me working scratch through" he sat back down on seeing she wasn't getting mad about what he was telling her

"We don't know anything about drugs Sam, we could get killed"

"We? what's all this we stuff I don't want you out there"

"It's not happening if I'm not there, no way are you doing that alone" she rested her hand on his knee

"Cedes the baby" he pushed her off him, not happy she wasn't thinking about her

"Sam the Daddy" she sassed back at him "If I'm not there it's not happening" her huff telling him that was the last word on it

"I need to find out how to do this, I want to speak to Tony but I think he wants to kill me" he got up walking up and down the length of the room

"You should call him"

"I threw his phone away"

"You know your parents could be dead right now?" her tone changed as she spewed her fact

"What?" he stopped walking his voice at shout level

"Tony knows were you live, he knows where we both live, you've run off with his stuff the first place he's going to look is your parents house"

"My Dad's been calling me, he's fine"

"What if he's calling you because Tony's telling him to get in touch or die?"

"Comforting Cedes, very comforting" he cut his eye at her and sat down running his fingers through his hair pulling it back, securing it with the band round his wrist "Okay I'll call Mom" he finally gave in "Later"

 ** _"Better not pass me by, cause if you do you'll, lose a good thing (oh baby), cause what I got to say is seal with a kiss"_** she climbed onto his lap singing

"Now that makes me feel good" he smiled, at her _**"My mind is blind at times I can't see anyone but you, those other girls don't matter no, they can't spoil my view"**_

"And you know how that makes me feel" she smiled back at him nose kissing, the rest of the song humming in their heads as they took time to pay attention to each other, it was evening by the time they woke up for something to eat

"I don't remember some of those notes I heard you singing in our song" he smirked at her

"Call your Mom" Cedes reminded him jumping to her knees on the bed grabbing his phone for him to make the call, ignoring his jibe, he rolled his eyes and took the phone there was no point avoiding it, she wasn't going to stop until it was done, he made the call

 **California**

 **Mary & Tony **

"What the hell were you thinking?" Mary spun round asking Tony when Hazel and Heath left the foyer

"I wasn't really thinking he was begging me to help him make some damn money and I broke and helped him, he was doing fine, learning the ropes from the bottom up, how long is Uncle D actually going to keep him out the loop?"

"That really isn't for us to determine, you were wrong Tony you should have come to me or even D and let us know what was going on in Sam's head"

"I sort of get that now Mom, but I was just trying to be a damn leader I guess"

"And when did 18 year old boys start swearing at their Mom's around here?"

"Sorry" he cut his eye at her saying

"Yeah that looked sorry alright, don't let me tell your Uncle's about your shit"

"Ma" he moaned "Sam's going to be alright" he changed his mind for what he was going to say "Did you get a permit from Marcus?"

"Yeah, we'll talk about it after thi..." their conversation stopped by the study door opening

"Heath" Daniel shouted across the foyer, looking at Mary when he didn't see him

"He's in the lounge" she answered his unsaid question

"In a minute" Heath shouted back holding onto his wife giving her all the time she needed before they faced everyone else "You gonna be alright?" he asked her wiping her eyes and frowning for a smile before he grabbed her hand and walked across the foyer back into the study

"So" Daniel looked around the room "We need a plan"

"Well it's obvious Sam's with Mercedes" Ann told everyone "This isn't him, that's the only reason I can think he'd need money for, to get to her"

"Why would he want to get to her?" Tony looked around the room asking

"They're an item apparently" his Mom replied

"Oh" Tony gulped before carrying on "So it's not alright for me to ask permission to date Mercedes but it's alright for Sam to run off with her?"

"It wasn't even like that" Daniel told him frustrated with the attitude he was giving

"Oh no, it was different because Hazel caught them in bed together" Mary told him looking back at her friends "I didn't see why he shouldn't know" she cut her eyes telling them

 **Tony's Flashback**

"They were in bed?" Tony asked too upset to say anything else, he'd approached his Uncle and Aunt Jones just before his 17th birthday telling them he'd got feelings for Mercedes, he'd of course told them he was aware she was way too young for relationships but he wanted permission to take her out, get to know each other in a different way.

She'd only ever known him as the guy from down the road whose brother was selling drugs, and that his Dad was missing. They'd said no, maybe they knew what was going to happen because Marcus got sent down for a 10 year stretch weeks later, and he became the front man of the business. Shortly after that he'd found out why his request was frowned on, his family were working for hers.

He'd came back upset from his rejection conversation with her parents and told his Mom about the whole thing, she'd sat and listened and then made a call, before sitting him down to tell him the story of Tony, Heath and Daniel. He too started to see the situation as his birth right, quickly got serious about it and went to his Uncles; as he started calling them from that day, for guidance and instruction, because for all intents and purposes his family had equal shares in the business, D and H had taken a back seat for good and with his brother gone it was his time to keep the business afloat, so just like that all thoughts of Mercedes and him took a back burner.

 **End of Flashback**

"Tony" he heard pulling him out of his thoughts

"Uncle D" he looked at him his face blank

"I said call the whole thing off with the package, I don't want Sam hurt"

"I never called it" he told him _'but I might now, she was mine'_ he thought looking at the people around the room, his family a flash going through his mind of each of them hurting beyond description at the death of one more of their own

"Good, thank you" he smiled at him "So a plan, what are your thoughts?"

"America's a big place, we need to pray they contact us" Ann offered

"I don't think Mercedes will be contacting us, I knew it was a stupid idea to freeze her out" Hazel looked at Heath apologetically, that had been her idea

"I don't think Sam has the phone that I gave him anymore" Tony smiled "I didn't even know he'd turned the tracker off" he sat thinking how damn cute his cousin really was "He'll be fine"

"Is everyone praying on that?" Mary asked to nods around the room

"You always have the best ideas" Hazel grabbed her hand and pulling Heath who was already holding her hand with her "Prayer circle" she announced smiling as Tony rolled his eyes but joined in anyway

"What?" his Aunt Hazel asked him

"Nothing" he smiled, he couldn't tell her that he's out there jacking people on a regular basis, selling crack to anyone that will use it, killing people and was feeling like a hypocrite for asking God to save his family from whoever and not everybody else's from him

"Amen" he heard and smiled for missing it all

"We just have to have faith in God's plan for ..." Heath told everyone, freezing as Ann's phone rang

Daniel looked at Ann as they both made a grab for it "Hi Family" the sassy voice came over loud speaker "I know that fat ass brother of mine has you all there with all this drama" she laughed "D?" she stopped to ask when she heard nothing

"This is your fat ass brother talking to his fatter ass sister" Heath said with attitude

"My ass is not fat" she sulked at him

"Don't give it if you can't take it" he warned "Any news on my girl?"

"Sam was here, he booked a motel but they didn't stay there for whatever reason, we're following the road out of town in the hope of catching up with them"

"Okay that's good, we're just praying one of them calls" Mary butted in

"Mary?" Zina screeched "I miss you girl, I miss all you all"

"Miss you too, we need a reunion"

"Pen it in your diary, lets get that done once we sort these children out"

"How's Tony and Marcus"

"Well Marcus do what he do you know, and Tony's here"

"Hello Aunt Zina" Tony said shyly, she was the kind of Aunt that was all over you, he had his first wet dream many years ago to that woman's sexy phone voice, he remembered seeing her in a photo of the crew together when his Mom told him about the business a year go, she was about 15 in the picture, younger than all the others except maybe Uncle Martin, but she looked the cheekiest and the most fun

"Still sounding as handsome as I'm sure you look, if your anything like that Daddy of yours" her voice raspy

"Thank you" Mary laughed "And leave my boy alone"

"Whatever" she laughed "So what do we do about Sam and Mercedes?"

"Wait for them to call I guess, go back home to your babies" Heath ordered

"They're with us" she snapped back

"Okay" Heath said with attitude, smiling as Hazel rolled her eyes at the two of them bantering

"Bye"

"Bye" Everyone echoed as the phone went dead"

"Get the spare rooms ready Hazel, this is going to be a long one" Ann told her grabbing her arm, smiling as Mary followed and the ladies went to prepare dinner and get the house ready

They'd eaten dinner, settled into an evening of music and laughter when the phone rang at something nearing midnight "That has to be them" Heath jumped up

"Hang on let me answer, at this time of night he'd expect it to be me" Ann told everyone "Quiet" she told the room before she picked up the phone

"Mom" she heard taking a sharp intake of breath before letting out a sigh

"Sam where are you, I've been so worried" she couldn't help but burst into tears "Hold on" she told him putting him on speaker for everyone to listen to "Where are you?"

"I'm alright Mom, I'm with Mercedes and we're both alright, but we're not coming back"

"What do you mean you're not coming back, we can work something out"

"We know you guys want to split us up, and that's not an option we want"

"Listen to me Sam you guys are 16 years old, how the hell are you going to survive out there?"

"We'll survive, don't worry"

"How am I not worrying, you guys are too young, you can't get proper jobs, rent or buy a property, what's not to worry about?" she asked her voice raised

"Let me speak to him" his Dad mouthed listening to the conversation

"Sam you're Dad's here, he wants to talk to you"

"Son, whatever the reason for this we can work it out, just come back home, this is so worrying for us"

"We're not coming back Dad" he told him, his voice telling them he was getting fed up of hearing the same thing

"Is Mercedes there with you now?

"Yes why?"

"Her parents want to speak to her"

"Hold on" he muted the phone for a short while before they heard rambling in the background "She doesn't want to speak to them" followed by a silence "I'll put it on loud speaker for you" he said obviously talking to Cedes "I'm sitting right here" he tried to get her to talk "Sorry she doesn't want to talk, we just wanted you to know we're alright, bye" he told them and put the phone down

"We should have told them" Mary announced

"Told them?" Ann asked shocked

"Yeah" she looked around the room "They're out there with no money, no support, just that package and they are going to try to sell it, bit by bit or as a big deal, they need to know"

Daniel dare not say anything, he'd made a promise he just looked at Ann, Hazel was in agreement and Heath was totally against it, none of them had spoken but their expressions said it all

"We could maybe tell them bits" Hazel suggested cutting the silence

"Or we could put the word out, let the other dealers know they're out there, ask them to let us know, we have a good relationship with most of them" Tony suggested

"We've done favours like that for some of them before" Mary encouraged

"That's all good and well if they sell in bulk, but what if they don't?" Heath asked "They'll be treading on toes"

"I go with Tony" Ann announced shocking Daniel "We contact everyone we know in the business and ask them to pass a photo and the message on, paying as much as we need to, to get them back safe"

"You're alright with that?" Daniel asked concerned that Ann had shifted so easily

"We're not stupid D, we hear the stories about people disappearing, horrible deaths, rape we know what goes on in that world" Hazel told him

"I'll go get a recent picture of Sam" Ann got up telling everyone

"It's late I'll come with you" Daniel got up to follow her

 **Ohio**

"So how are you bugging me to speak to my parents and you won't even grunt at yours?" Sam threw the phone down asking her

"They left me in that rat infested house, didn't bother to speak to me for nearly three months, I don't owe them shit" she snapped

"I only asked" he backed off at her tone

"Sorry, can we forget about them now?" she pulled him to her asking

"Seriously Cedes, you are killing me" he giggled taking her kiss "I thought we got up for food?" he commented his eyes closed as her lips trailed kisses down his neck

"Breakfast I promise" her husky voice replied

"Big breakfast" he melted into her touch

The next morning he woke up smiling as he smelt the coffee and saw the IHOP bag, sitting on the bedside table, opening the bag his eyes widened at finding everything he'd ever want for breakfast, Cedes sat on the end of the bed looking at him "It's a thank you for letting me have my way last night" she smiled

"Very welcome" he crawled down the bed to kiss her before going back to grab the bag, they sat eating for a while "So what are we going to do next?"

"Like?"

"Well we said we needed to find somewhere stable to live, you didn't want to live in the projects. Mom tells me we're too young to buy a house, we'll have to find someone to rent one to us, and we're not there yet but we have to be mindful we have no money coming in, everything is going out right now"

"How long do you think we can afford to live like this?"

"Maybe another two months at least, take out the IHOP breakfasts every day" he laughed throwing more food in his mouth "It is good though"

"They said it was one of the best in the area and I wanted the best for you" she purred at him, feeling pleased with herself when he held his heart total love in his eyes and the most genuine of smiles "You make me burst with pride when you look at me like that" she laughed embarrassed

"I'll get that feeling, everyday" he looked at her

"Let me taste that bacon" she instructed him, watching as he lifted his fork to give her some "Not that one, the one in our mouth" she leaned in kissing him "I know you don't know how much just yet but, I do love you"

"I love you too" he smiled "And once our baby's out all gloves are off, you'll know just how much"

"I guess the next thing we need to do is set up home ready for this one" she rubbed her baby bump telling him "And then find jobs" she sighed at him "You're going to have to speak to Tony and find out how this thing works, just tell him once you get a job you'll pay him back"

"It's $400k we're talking about, what are we supposed to eat, pay bills with or rent a house on while I'm busy paying Tony back?"

"And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid" she rolled her eyes with disappointment at herself

 ** _"Like, I love you"_** he sung gaining himself a smile

 **Atlanta**

"H said turn around and go home" Zina told Martin when she finally found her pocket on the skin tight jeans she had on and squeezed the phone into it

"Turn around" Martin told the driver

"It's getting late and my kids need to eat" she looked across at her sleepy children

"Stop at the nearest restaurant" Martin instructed the driver determined not to have any sort of argument with Zina, not in front of everyone anyway

"H actually said don't stop until you find them" she smiled telling him, he wasn't taking any chances

"Chris turn the car back round" he rolled his eyes at her stupid games

"No I'm lying" she laughed when Chris started to turn the car around

"Damn Zee is everything a fucking joke for you?" Martin looked at her his face telling her he wanted to say more, much more, but this wasn't the time or the place

"Lighten the fuck up Tin Man" she nudged him smiling "You used to be fun"

"You knocked that shit straight out of me" he looked at her from the side of is eye, trying to remember the last time anyone, especially her had called him that

"He said sit and wait" her eyes soft as she spoke "Now Mercedes has gone will you be leaving?" she asked her voice nearly as soft as he remembered it, back when they were together

"I'll see what H says" he almost whispered back, wanting to kick Danger for the smirk on his face

 **Three Weeks Later**

 **Ohio**

"This place looks ridiculous" Sam sat looking around the motel room at all the baby stuff they'd not meant to buy "We need a plan"

"You need to call Tony and find out what to do"

"I know, we're spending like crazy" he found a space on the bed to sit down "I just can't call him he'll kill me"

"Call your Dad ask him what to do about it, see if our parents can put together and pay him off"

"You didn't even speak to your parents when they asked last month"

"If it's going to save your life, I'll speak to my grandparents" she laughed "And you know their not with us anymore" he sat watching her belly laughing at her own joke a smile on his face "Phone them now" she suddenly sat up and grabbed his phone handing it to him, he looked at it and then back up at her "They can only threaten to kill us they don't know where we are, do they?"

"I guess not" he smiled taking the phone off her and calling his Mom "Mom, yes yes" he rolled his eyes looking at Cedes as his Mom asked the expected; are you alright, eating well, is Mercedes alright stuff "Listen" he got her attention saying "I need you to get Mercedes parents with you guys we have something to say, in about an hour yeah?"

"An hour" his Mom agreed before the phone went dead

They grabbed some food, sat about talking about the pending conversation taking comfort in the fact that their parents didn't actually know where they were so there'd be no flack and he'd become good at ignoring his phone "It's time" Cedes said handing him the phone again before taking a breath and jumping on the bed as he sat on it ready for the dreaded conversation

"Hi" Sam said when the call answered

"We're all here" his Mom told him everyone waiting silently for the conversation to start

"Dad" Sam said his face red before he'd even started "I did something stupid" he looked at Cedes as he spoke "I got working for Tony down the road, I needed money to get to Mercedes, she's not been very happy these past months, I guess you all knew we were together"

"Tony?" his Dad asked

"Yeah Tony Dad I was fetching and delivering for him for a while, made a lot of money"

"Drugs?" his Dad asked

"Why's he saying it like that, like we're guilty of something?" Cedes butted in "So condescending" she hissed as Sam grabbed hold of her hand to stop her talking

"Please" his eyes begging her not to disrespect his parents

"Sorry Mr Evans"

"We want to say sorry too, well actually I do, it was my idea not to contact you sorry Mercedes, I made a bad choice" her Mom butted in, Cedes rolled her eyes

"I guess I accept" she told her although her facial expression said something different

"Anyway" Sam butted back in getting to the point "I ended up stealing a package from Tony, I thought we could sell it and get by, but we don't have a clue"

"So what do you want us to do?" Heath asked

"Have you been caught with it?" Ann asked

"No" Sam shouted "But we need some money"

"Let me talk to Tony, get back, give us an hour, but son be careful"

"Dad be careful he can be real nasty, I'll call back in an hour" he told them everyone saying bye before the call closed

"That wasn't to bad" he turned to Cedes saying

"No it was alright" she smiled "Your parents are so... nice"

"I notice yours hardly said anything"

"That's how much they care"

 **California**

"How are you getting on with those emails?" Daniel asked Heath, Hazel and he had been busy sending information and pictures out to all four corners of America trying to get their community to work together to bring their children home

"Jonas in New York's on board and I've got Brad in Iowa and I'm waiting on our man Smyth in Florida, we're in trouble if they've come back this way, that's another war"

"We're good for it" Tony told them he was using his exclusive social media network to link in as many areas as he could asking favours across their world and offering what he needed to

"Okay times up and I have the perfect idea" Ann told them, just as the phone rang

"Mom?" Sam asked, when Daniel pressed speaker

"Yes son we're all here"

"Did you get anything from Tony?"

"Yeah he said for you to ask around for the boss, and say you've been sent by TDH in California, apparently those are the bosses around here"

"How did you get that information from him?"

"I spoke to his Mom who spoke to him and that 's what she gave me back"

"Cedes write that down TDH in Cali" he looked at her as he passed the information over

"He said he couldn't guarantee what you'd get for it, but that you're to take whatever they give you and get out of there"

"Okay" he told her a silence over the room as he considered what to say "It's not that we don't love you guys, we just... we want to be together and well... you guys are so against that and now Cedes resents her family for sending her away and giving her the silent treatment and all, we just think that was too much, we'll call again" the room silent as everyone looked around "Oh, and thank you for putting your lives on the line for us"

"Call" Hazel said through her tears "Just call, let us know your alright"

"We will" Sam told her shocked when Cedes joined in to say that, making him smile

"So bye" he said waiting for the response before he closed the call down

"Bye" Cedes shouted into the phone before he pressed the disconnect button

"What do you think?" Mary asked the quite room

"I don't think we're going to see our babies again" Hazel cried into her hands

"I believe we will" Ann told her, the two women grabbed each other "You have to believe we will" she looked up at Daniel begging him to make her words true, Daniel looked at Heath the pressure was on them to make this impossible task possible

"Tony how are you getting on with those links?" Heath asked

"There's $4m on the table so far and that's more than doable, we've covered some good ground, I think there's a light"

"Where there's light there's always hope" Daniel smiled sitting back down to carry on hitting his contacts, there was one specific one he needed to get on board.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ohio**

Sam and Cedes were out nearly every afternoon asking questions, getting cold shoulders and being moved on by the smaller dealers on the blocks, They eventually met up on a girl called Jennifer by accident one afternoon in the gas station. Sam was stood pumping gas and Cedes was standing outside the car trying to get the cramp out of her left leg "You alright?" he looked across the top of the car at her pained face

"I'm fine" she smiled her attention caught by some rather rowdy boys coming towards them with two girls in the mix, from afar it looked like they were having fun, she smiled thinking of a different life they could be having, but when they got closer it was clear they were taunting the girls who were trying to get away from them.

Before Sam could say of even do anything Cedes was up off the car and moving towards them "Cedes" he shouted trying to get the hose out to hang it up to run after her, watching her walk fast towards them "Cedes stop, what the fuck are you doing?" he shouted after her abandoning the hose and going after her "Where are you going?" he grabbed her arm asking pulling her to a halt

"Hey" he heard one of the guys shout looking up to see he was talking to him

"What?" he let go of Cedes and asked the guy, his attitude already stinking

"Why are you grabbing that girl?" he walked up to him asking, Cedes wanted to step in between them but she knew what Sam would think about that, so she stood closer to him, looking at the guy talking as the other two came over to see what was going on

"Stopping her from beating your ass, as you can see" he moved in front of her telling them

"Beating my ass?" the guy laughed looking round at the other two, who started laughing too, Cedes face went to another level as they laughed, they eventually saw something in her eyes telling them he wasn't joking, and abruptly stopped laughing

"Your new to these parts?" the shorter guy of the three asked

"Yeah we're passing through" Cedes told them

"You guys don't look more than 15" the tallest guy at the back commented

"21 actually" Cedes snapped at them "And you shouldn't be bullying the sisters like that"

"We're not bullying we're having a laugh, and she's not a sister" their front man pointed to the white girl standing listening

"She's a girl, she's a sister to me" she told them flashing her hair at them "Are you girls alright or do you need a ride somewhere?"

"We could take the ride" the tall, slender, brown skinned girl told them stepping off to stand behind Cedes

"We meant no harm" the front guy told the girls "Just passing time" he smiled making everyone relax

"Wasn't funny" the white girl told them cutting her eye

"My bad" the short guy who seemed to be the leader told her, holding his hands up

They stood talking for a short while before parting company "Nice meeting you guys" Cedes smiled turning to get back to the car, Sam fist bumped the guys, ran back to remove the pump from his car and then over to pay for the fuel

"Seriously how old are you guys?" one of the girls asked

"Nearly 17" Cedes smiled as they got in the car

"And your parents..."

"We're orphans" Cedes said cutting the conversation off, watching Sam as he paid for the fuel and got back to the car

"Where to?" Sam asked as he got back in the car

"Well I Jennifer, want to go home but Michelle is also an orphan"

"Okay" Sam looked at Cedes wondering what she'd told them "So where do you want to go?"

She gave them an address and directed them until they were near her home "I can walk from here" she made to jump out the car

"God your house is massive" Cedes looked through the iron gates at the wide fronted white house "What do your parents do?"

"Oh you really wouldn't want to know" she laughed jumping out the car

"We might just want to know" Cedes looked at Sam smiling

"It's late but come in" Jennifer invited them in, they wanted to see what the inside was like they smiled at the invite "Meet my parents, but tell them I was with you guys all night, we were at the Hounds Café just shooting pool"

"Okay?" Michelle jumped out the car, watching as Sam and Cedes looked at each other "They're cool people" she assured them

"Come on, grab the bag" Cedes told him watching as he grabbed it, jumped out the car, grabbed her hand and took the short walk up to the house

"It's Mr & Mrs Brady" she told them just before the door opened, they stood looking shocked as a real life Butler, just like on Fresh Prince, stood greeting them, Sam and Cedes looked at each other again before squeezing hands and walking in

"Mom Dad this is Sam and Cedes and Michelle you know of course" she smiled as her parents stood up to greet her friends "We've been down at Hounds shooting pool all evening" she told them, you could tell by the look on their faces they didn't believe her, it made Cedes grin, she was a bad liar too

"Nice to meet you" her Dad smiled at them watching as Sam protected Cedes from whatever he thought was a threat in this situation

"You too, you have a beautiful home" Sam commented

"So Sam and Cedes is it, where do your parents come from?"

"California" Sam quickly passed over

"Oh but they're no longer with us, we're orphans now"

"So how do you guys support yourselves?"

"Oh we're doing some business for a company called TDH in California once it's done we'll be heading back home" Sam told him moving for Cedes nudge

"I work with a company similar to TDH actually I know it well, what's your business?" Mr Brady asked, Sam looked around the room nervous "We can go talk business if you want?" Mr Brady smiled at him

"James do you have to?" Mrs Brady asked rolling her eyes "Your minds never off business"

"I'm intrigued" he smiled as he guided them out the room "So" he sat on his desk looking back at Sam and Cedes standing looking like the picture on his laptop and back at them, they looked even smaller in the massive room "The business what is it?" he asked watching them look at each other before Cedes shrugged her shoulders and he opened the bag "What's that you've got there?"

"You tell me and then tell me if we can do business" Sam put it in his hand, they stood as they watched Mr Brady walk around his desk and get a knife out the draw inserting it in the parcel and putting some of it's content on the tip of his tongue

"It's good" he held it out for them to taste

"Sorry we don't" Cedes told him

"Wow top quality I guess I could take this off your hand, I'll give you double what your original buyer was going to"

"They were giving up $300k" Cedes snapped out before Sam could say anything

"So I guess you just made yourself a cool $600k" Sam and Cedes clasped hands in excitement "Can I get that into your account"

"Oh cash only" Sam laughed as Mr Brady went to his walk in safe and came out with a small case

"You can count it if you want, I stack it in $1m's" he sat tasting the stuff thinking that was the easiest $4m he'd ever made, smiling as he watched their uncertainty, as to whether this was actually happening, obviously scared to head for the door "Go on the deals done" his voice light with a smile in it, they could do nothing but smile at each other before not even bothering to look back to see where Jennifer was, they left the house

Mr Brady of course made the call to Tony telling him, he'd spoken to them "Where are they staying?" Tony asked

"I'm not their parent, they said they were passing through" Mr Brady snapped at him

"Your Money will be there" he told him, cutting the call off

 **California**

Tony put the phone down from his conversation with Mr Brady, he couldn't believe they'd just walked in, handed the package over and took the money all by total accident, but he was happy they'd got through it without a hitch

"Uncle" he said as he closed the call, grabbing his jacket to get over to the house "Uncle" he burst through the Evans' front door shouting "I have news" he shouted as Ann came out of the lounge

"News?" she asked following him to the study

"News" he burst through the door telling them "Mr Brady up in Lima Ohio just brought the whole package from the two of them, he said it was an absolute fluke, they'd been out with his daughter and she brought them back to their house, everything went smooth and he gave them $600k" he smiled "They're safe"

"So where are they?" Daniel asked

"He didn't ask, and to be fair that wasn't part of the agreement but, we know they're in Lima right now"

"Okay lets get up there and we can start combing that area" Daniel told them "Ann pack a bag" he ordered picking the phone up to let Heath know

The phone rang at the Heath residence, they knew who it was and that it was news, what they didn't know was if it was good or bad, they'd been arguing yet again about the punishment they'd decided to hand out to their daughter, the regrets, the what if's. At this point Hazel had talked herself into thinking the worst and no matter how Heath tried to be optimistic she'd knock things back down again, sending herself into a spiral of depression "They have" Heath jumped up out the chair excited, at last he had something positive to tell Hazel "They're alive" he interrupted the phone conversation to tell his waiting wife, watching as she collapsed in the nearby chair and cried for the relief "We're there" he told him dropping the phone to go hold his wife "We need to pack a case, they're in Ohio" he told her, watching happily as she pulled out of his grip and went into action

"Tony" Daniel looked up at him smiling "You done good, tell your Mom as soon as we find out where they are we'll let you guys know and we'll all tell them together" he walked up to him saying "We don't need this getting any bigger than it already has"

 **Ohio**

"Michelle" Cedes said when they got to the car to find her leaning on it "What are you doing?"

"I don't live here, I don't actually live anywhere to be honest I, unlike you guys, am really an orphan"

"So what do you want from us?" Cedes looked at Sam asking her

"Somewhere to stay for a couple of days I guess"

"We live in a motel, we don't have space for you" Sam told her

"We'll give you money for food and so you can rent a room for a week" Cedes told her

"I'll take that" she smiled hugging Cedes

"Err I don't think so" Cedes told her watching her going towards Sam for a hug "All of this is off bounds, I don't care who a bitch is, I will slap your ass into next week, back the fuck off"

"I hear you girl, I was just being friendly"

"I'm all the friend he needs" she told her, her look wiping Sam's smile off his face, before they got back in the car and made their way back across town to their motel, it was late, they'd brought some fast food and sat in the motel eating, talking and watching TV "We booked you a room down the way" she told Michelle when they got tired

A week later they found a house to rent, Michelle, who was 20 years old had turned out to be of good sorts, she'd stood as guarantor for them, she found work at the local café and was paying rent for the third room in the house. Sam and Cedes were busy finding antenatal care, preparing for a baby, furnishing a house while Sam was looking for work to cover the presence of their ever flowing money tree.

"What are you doing home?" Cedes walked into their living room asking of Michelle almost laying on the couch while Sam sat at the dining table talking to her

"Late shift, long break remember" she told her smiling at Sam, she didn't mean anything by it but Cedes hormones were going crazy and she took it as they'd just got out of bed and were hiding some sort of secret affair from her, Sam saw her face knew she was about to blow and jumped in

"I just got in about 5 minutes ago, I was just asking her the same thing, that's why she's laughing, reminding me she pays rent" Cedes looked at him for a while, knowing in her heart he was telling the truth and smiled

"So what's for dinner?" she asked setting the half eaten box of chicken wings on the table and smiling as Sam started eating them "I have three weeks left of eating for two" she smiled at him leaning across to kiss him

"Exciting isn't it" he pulled her onto him laughing, Michelle sat smiling at the couple that were fast becoming her family

"I love the way you guys love each other, I hope to find that one day" she cooed at them "I can't believe I didn't even notice you were pregnant for the first week we lived together" she laughed "You're going to be wicked parents"

"Thanks Shell" Mercy turned to say smiling at her before turning back to pay attention to Sam

 _ **'Hey lady, let me tell you why, I can't live my life, without you (aw baby)**_ ' she hummed in his ear kissing his neck, for them right now Michelle may as well have not been there

 _ **'Every time I see you walking by I cannot breathe, you don't understand but in time you will, I must make you understand'**_ he hummed grabbing her hand "Oh sort something out for yourself, dinners going to be late" he turned to tell Michelle

"I'm off to work I don't need to hear that" she waved her hand jumping up to get back to work

It was difficult to fully be together at this point, with Cedes larger than average baby bump, the trapped nerve in her groin and the baby's constant moving they were scared to crush stuff, but they had a good time doing alternative stuff, the baby seemed to get as excited as them about sex, when she finally settled down they'd do things as quietly and slowly as possible to not wake her up.

"Cedes" Sam walked back into their bedroom some time later with food on a tray "Come on eat something"

"I have a mad headache, just let me sleep" she fanned him off

"I said food" he laughed knowing that wasn't something she turned her nose up at

"Seriously Sam, my head is banging, give me an hour"

"Okay" he turned around with the tray and left her to it

It was well after an hour later when he went back to go check on her "You alright Cedes" he whispered as he got close, on seeing her still asleep he left the room again. An hour later and he was worried, he walked back into the room "Cedes" he shouted from across the room she could go mad at him for all he cared "Cedes" he shook her

"Sam" she jumped, disorientated holding her head

"Are you alright?"

"I feel sick" she slurred "I'm going to be sick" she pushed the cover off her putting her legs out of bed and holding his shoulder for how dizzy she felt "Something's wrong" she told him holding her head with pain and her shoulders started heaving and she was vomiting profusely

"Cedes" he gasped as he watched her vomit land on the floor covering her very swollen feet "Your legs" she couldn't concentrate on anything she was trying to stop the vomiting that seemed to go on forever "Hospital" he demanded attempting to pick her up, horrified when he realised the swelling was all over "Can you walk?"

"I can't see properly" her voice seemed to be in slow motion, Sam was scared, so much so he found a strength he never knew he had lifting her off the bed and carrying her to the car, putting her in and driving the twenty minutes to the local hospital

Once there the nurses and doctors reacted quickly, telling him about something called Preeclampsia "What's happening to her?" he asked as they moved around

Hypertensive patient here" The Nurse shouted and everyone came rushing through

Within seconds there was a doctor standing over her "What do we have here?" he asked turning to look at Sam "What's her name?"

"Cedes, I mean Mercedes" he told him as the nurses prodded and poked at her

"Are her parents around, we might need consent" he looked back at Sam asking "Lets get some IV's in and a monitor on them" he told the nurses as Sam answered his question

"I'm her partner we live together"

"I get that son but this is serious, we need her parents if they're around"

"What she could die?" he asked, his eyes filling up as the words came out his mouth

"Her condition is serious" the doctor told him, he sat in the waiting room wondering what to do next

 **Atlanta**

"The restaurant" the driver announced as the car came to a halt, that day they went looking for Mercedes and Sam, the children jumped out before Zina could speak, Danger jumped out after them following them quickly into the restaurant

"Come on" Martin held his hand out for Zina to get out the car

"Still the gentlemen" she'd smiled grabbing his hand and stepping out the car, she didn't let go of it when she stepped out, watching his smiling face as they walked to the restaurant door in silence

Dinner took place with looks being passed between Martin and Zina at the table while the children went about their usual rowdy eating habits, the adults had conversation, mainly around Mercedes and Sam before they finally made their way home, dropping Danger off on route.

The children went straight to bed all that driving had taken it out of them, plus it was late "Do you want a drink?" Zina surprised him asking as they stood clumsily across the room from each other, her choosing music and him watching her, changing his expression as she turned to ask the question

"I guess" he shrugged his shoulders saying "Forgive me this has only ever happened once in my life" he laughed

"Black, one sugar right?"

"You remember" he smiled impressed, as he sat on the couch watching her walk about the kitchenette preparing their drinks, "So" she finally walked towards him

"Yeah" he moved uneasily in the couch "I guess while we're actually talking for the first time in what, nearly 30 years, I get to ask that question I've always wanted to ask"

"No don't, lets just go with this flow" she covered his lips telling him, sitting down beside him

"We missed something didn't we?" he asked looking at her as she handed him his drink

"I didn't know it back then but yeah we missed something" she smiled "I missed you"

"You did?" he asked shocked that she'd even admitted that "I'm sorry" he shuffled on the couch turning to face her as he spoke "I know you asked me not to but I... we made love that day, I know you felt it too, why?" he asked his eyes begging for a reply "Why did you leave me"

"I was frightened, it was too much for me all that emotion, I didn't know what it was, all I knew was that is scared me and I couldn't handle feeling that vulnerable"

"And now?"

"I haven't felt that way since, I've been moving from one worthless relationship to another running away from you" she finally looked him in the eyes "I know now it was love, that was what I experienced but we were children" she grabbed his top puling him to her "I'm sorry" the room silent except for the instrumental music ringing through the room

Martin rolled his eyes taking the loud message as a sign and bit the bullet "I still love you" he grabbed her shoulders "Sometimes I hate that I feel that way but I can't help it, will you at least give me something?"

"Promise you won't hurt me, my heart wouldn't survive it"

"I promise" he watched her lips stop moving before he covered them with his, and suddenly those past 30 years disappeared. they were 15 again, without the clumsiness, no inhibitions, and the love was still there and still very real, as Josh Stone told them this was for the rest of their lives

The next morning he woke up to Zina singing, that was what had drawn his attention to her in the first place, he smiled as he lay pretending to sleep listening to her version of **Joss Stone** _ **'s**_ **'I've Fallen In Love With You'** _ **'I've fallen in love with you, and you've just got to feel the same way too'**_ she sang he lifted his head to see her looking at him "Did I hear that right?" he asked crawling towards her

"What did you hear?" the smile on her face mixed with embarrassment

"That you'd fallen in love me"

 _ **"Don't you go, please stay, never try to send me away"**_ she blushed as she sang dramatically

"God" he got out off bed grabbing hold of her "I've loved you for... ever" was the word he settled for, smiling as she buried her head on his chest "Technicality I knew, but you walked away, remember"

"I still need to apologise for that?" she smiled, and the relationship was rekindled, three months in and they were getting on really well, even Damien was talking again, even having meaningful conversations with Martin

 **Ohio**

Sam sat in the waiting room wondering what the hell was going on, the word die ringing in his ear like a nearby church bell, there were several stages of bricking it, starting with frightened, leading to scared, passing up to petrified and then that other feeling and he was one above that right now. It suddenly dawned on him that they were alone, she could die, their baby could die, the two people in the word he had responsibility for could leave him any minute now, he held his head unable to cope with the thought and took his phone out

"Mom" he burst out crying when she finally answered the phone, even he was shocked at this release of pressure "Cedes is in hospital the doctor said she might die" he blarted out, he could hear his Mom gasping

"What hospital?" she asked grabbing a pen and some paper to jot down all Sam's mumbling "We'll be there ..."

"Got to go Mom the doctors coming" he told her putting the phone down "Any news?" he asked jumping from one foot to the other he was so nervous

"We need her parents here" he told him "She has preeclampsia" he told him

"What's that, will it hurt the baby?"

"We've tried her on a few medications, we think there might be some medical history that's complicating things, but until her parents get here we won't know for certain"

"Can I see her?"

"You can but she's not allowed to move"

"What did you say this pre thing was again?" Sam asked as they walked towards the room Cedes was in, listening as he told him about the condition

"She has a Pitcoin drip in to induce labour, make it start that is" the Doctor said pushing the door open, Sam gasped at the sight of her before quickly stepping towards her

"Cedes" he gasped grabbing her hand, he could tell she wanted to say something because her eyes moved but she was too weak

"She's tired, that's the symptoms from the Preeclampsia, and the drip isn't working too well we're still trying to find out what the problem is" he stood at the door telling him "She'll probably want to sleep for all the medication she's had" he told him before stepping back out the door and letting it shut

Sam sat, with too much time to think about what this could mean for them, tears rolling down his face as he prayed silently with her swollen hand in his humming **_'Words can never say what I feel, it's too intense (ohh), I've tried and tried and tried and tried to tell, you how I feel, but I get mixed up (so mixed up)'_** as he tried to stroke life back into her, that was all he could think to do, he finally fell asleep too

He was woken by screaming Cedes was screaming her head off, it took him a couple of seconds to work out what was happening "What are you doing?" he asked the doctor sitting at the bottom of the bed with his hand nearly elbow deep inside his girl

"We need to see what's going on in there, she should be in labour already, we might need to do a C-section" he announced

"C-section" Sam gasped this was turning into a fucking nightmare, he hadn't seen any of this coming, Cedes started kicking at the doctors actions still screaming "Cedes" he grabbed her hand "They're checking the baby, you've been really good so far, please" he stroked her face trying to calm her down

"Mercedes you're unusually weak, we may need to help you bring the baby, we'll give it another hour, if the baby isn't stressed" the doctor told them taking his hand out of her and removing his glove "I'll ask consent of course but if there's no choice..." he didn't finish the sentence before he left the room

Sam looked at Cedes she was scared, he way past that but right now that wasn't what she needed to see, he kissed her cheek and held his face against hers for a while telling himself to get a grip and be strong for her, he heard her sleeping again and moved his face to look at her, the only emotion he had right now was crying, he was doing enough of it for both of them

Nearly an hour later and the door burst open Sam wiped his face, he was ready for the bad news he looked at Cedes still sleeping almost guilty for putting her in this position, and then back at the door "No change?" the nurse asked him like he was the professional in this situation

"No" he told her before grabbing Cedes lifeless hand, looking at her for a while before the tears seemed to come from nowhere again, he finally got up, plugged his earphones in and wondered down the corridor and out the front doors, his head was going to explode with all this fucking shit going on, all they were doing was having a fucking baby, he grabbed the air with his lungs, it felt like forever since he'd smelt fresh air, oblivious to anything going on around him the music was so loud in his ear keeping him level, he found a bench and sat wondering what he was going to say to his parents when they arrived, but glad he'd called them, this was too much to face alone, a smile coming to his face as one of the songs from their first marathon time together, on the occasion they were sure their baby was conceived, came blasting through his headset, bringing their good times back _**'Reveal the secrets of your body, you feel perfect when you on me now, I don't want to leave you now, morning, we saw the night turn into morning, guess I gotta go right now, ten more minutes turn into an hour, yeah, wish I could stop the hands of time...'**_ _'Was that a sign'_ he thought about **'BRB' by Bazzi** coming to him just then, quickly followed by a sharp pain of guilt for wishing the baby wasn't here when he first heard about her _'Was this all my fault, did I wish this?'_ "No I'd never wish this" he sat up hearing his name

 **The Parents**

Less than two hours after Tony's news the four of them were on their private plane on their way to Lima Ohio, hoping to find their babies before trouble found them. After three weeks of searching they'd got a call from Sam crying telling them Mercedes was in hospital, Hazel collapsed falling to the floor before Heath could get to her, he was just as weak at hearing the news but his wife laying there in need gave him a strength he never knew he had "We need to get to the hospital" Ann told them grabbing her bag

"Is she..." Hazel looked at Ann asking

"He didn't say that, but I think she's pretty ill" she replied, they left the hotel grabbing a cab to get across town to the hospital

"Tony, we found them Mercedes is in hospital we don't really know what's going on but we need to tell them the truth as soon as possible so get on a flight and get here as soon as you guys can, and don't forget he's going to be shitting bricks when he sees you, so we need to talk fast, I'll call with details once you get here" he told him relaying information about the hotel they were staying at before closing the call

"Mercedes is in hospital, I don't think they'll be in a place to hear our shit right now, do you?" Hazel snapped at Daniel

"Hazel" Ann looked at her with daggers

"Sorry Daniel, I'm stressing, I don't know what's wrong with my daugh..."

"It's alright Haze, I understand" Daniel grabbed her hand telling her, the rest of the journey taking place in silence

 **The Hospital**

"There he is" Hazel shouted as they all looked where she was pointing to see him looking up to the heavens, his face tearful, he looked so sad and so young

"Sam" Ann gasped jumping out the cab, the others following while Heath threw some money at the driver before he followed them "Sam" they all stood listening to Ann when they realised he'd got his earphones in, he flinched, and their hearts leaping at the sight of him

"Sam" he heard his Mom's voice shouting, his eyes sprang open, to see her standing in front of him

"Mom" he gasped jumping up to get a well needed hug, taking his ear plugs out to give the information he had "They said she might die" he sobbed "She's got some complication and now they're talking preeclam something and C-sections"

"She's pregnant?" his Mom asked looking back at his Dad, watching as Heath and Hazel rushed towards the hospital doors

"I'll tell the doctor her parents are here" he lifted up off his Mom shoulder anxious to get back in, walking back in to the hospital to see them already talking to someone "She's through here" he walked past them telling them

"Just get us the doctor in charge" Heath told the nurse as they moved off to follow Sam

"What's happening to her?" Hazel asked crying harder when she saw her only child strung up to what looked like every machine in the hospital

"The doctor wi..." Sam started to tell them stopping as the door opened

"Mr & Mrs Jones?" the doctor walked in asking, smiling as he saw them "Your daughter is 38 weeks pregnant she has preeclampsia and another complication we're trying to work out, which means we're having problems stabilising her, we think it might be cardio but the notes are taking a while to get here, the systems down apparently"

"She has Eisenmenger's syndrome, she shouldn't have children" her Mom told him, Sam's head jumped up, if there was anything that could make him feel anymore responsible that was it, he looked at Cedes as her open eyes closed, she was upset

"Makes sense" the doctor looked at them before leaving the room to rectify the medication and treatment, returning seconds later "We're going to have to do a C-section while she's still got a bit of strength in her, I don't need to tell you this could be tricky" he looked at her parents

"If there's a choice to make we want our daughter back" Heath told him

"I understand" he told him leaving the room

"How can you make that decision about our baby?" Sam waited until the doctor left to ask, he was already mad that he wasn't being consulted about anything, she was his responsibility, she'd been his responsibility for the past nearly 9 months and now they felt they could just fucking exclude him like this "It's our baby and we'll make the decision about her" he told them as his parents looked on shocked at this version of Sam standing in front of them

"Well she's our daughter and I choose my daughter" Heath replied

"How do you know, we don't want this baby more?"

"Do you?" Hazel asked him, all of them seeing something of his father coming out of him right there, recognising the man he'd become in just over 3 months

"Of course I don't, but I know that's not what Cedes would want" he hissed at them

"Sam" he heard in the middle of his mad, rushing to the bed to hold her hand

"It's alright Cedes, I promise, but I had to call our parents, this is scary stuff"

"I choose the baby, you know that right?"

"I know that" he smiled "But your going to hate me forever because I choose you"

"I know that" she smiled "So if I fight for her and you fight for me, we're cool yeah?"

 _ **"Hey lady, let me tell you why, I can't live my life, without you (aw baby), every time I see you walking by I cannot breathe, you don't understand but in time you will'**_ he sang making her laugh "See you when you get out with our daughter" he kissed her forehead "Please speak to your parents, for me?" he asked looking up at them

"Mom" she turned to look at her "I'm scared, I'm really scared" she told her a tear coming down her cheek

"I can't do this for you baby, I would if I could, but everything will be alright, we love you and we'll be here when you come back"

"You think I'll come back?" she asked

"Of course you'll come back, you're Mercedes Jones" her Dad smiled "We love you baby girl" he rubbed her hand telling her

"I love you both too, and I'm sorry"

"I'm sorry" her Mom told her "We're sorry" she looked up at her husband telling their daughter

"Wait" she panicked as she felt the bed move "Sam" her hand came up grabbing for him "Sam" he grabbed hold of her hand frightened for the panic in her eyes "Dream about me" she told him, he smiled down at her

"Every night and every day" he told her kissing her forehead, watching as she closed her eyes and let his hand go,

" **BRB** " she smiled at him as the nurses rolled her out, she glanced at her parents and found a smile for them as she went, Sam stood knowing everything was going to be alright, this was God's plan for them, he'd given them both that song to remind them of the beginning of this journey, he was going to give them a good ending

"So" Daniel looked at his son saying as the door shut after the bed left

"It really isn't the time Daniel" Ann fanned him to shut up

"Dad do you want to come?" a Nurse opened the door asking

"Yes" Sam and Heath said at the same time, Sam stepping off to follow the bed

"I think they mean the baby's Dad Heath" Hazel laughed slapping his tummy "Poor kids" she sighed as the door closed on Sam leaving

"Only a Mother couldn't see the wrong in this fucking mess" Daniel spat, Heath nodded his head in agreement "What?" he asked at Ann's tut

"Only an insensitive ass couldn't acknowledge right now that one of our babies might die and the other might be feeling like it was all his damn fault" she cut her eye at him a silence falling on the room "Oh and we also have some explaining to do ourselves, remember?"

"Yeah" he replied

Less than an hour later, baby Imogen was born with beautiful green eyes and light dusty brown and blond streaked curly hair, they immediately started pumping Cedes with stronger medication to help her heart, she quickly became drowsy "Here's your Mommy Imogen" Sam held her close to a near sleeping Cedes, she found the strength to kiss her before she smiled at Sam and closed her eyes for much needed sleep. Sam sat watching her sleep with their baby in his arms, the only way he was going to put her down was to hold her Mother, he'd fallen in love, as deeply as he'd fell for the woman he was proud to call his girlfriend, the mother of his child and surely now when they were old enough his wife "I love your Mommy" he told his daughter, deciding he was going to tell her that every day of her life

Forty minutes later when Cedes woke up she was much improved, she was talking faster, wanting to see her baby, crying for the joy of it all and along with Sam fretting for what their parents were going to say "We need to speak to them but I don't think you're ready, so they'll wait until I think you are"

"My man's turned all he man on me" she chuckled holding her tummy for the pain

"Your man's become a Daddy and near enough a husband" he corrected her "And if your parents think they have any say now I'm going to stamp that shit out" he told her

"Okay" she grinned at him happy with the sudden change "Is it alright if they meet Imogen?"

"Of course" he laughed "Whenever your ready" he grabbed her hand smiling down at the baby snuggled in her armpit **_"_ _I might wife you, I might make that move, when we laying here..."_** he sang making her laugh

"That's the excitement talking, I'm ready" she said watching as he got up to fetch them

"You guys have a granddaughter Imogen her name is, and their both fine" he smiled, surprised when both sets of parents smiled back walking towards him for a hug

"Congratulations" Hazel told him hugging him for longer than she needed to "Can we go see them?"

"Of course" he turned to the door to lead them to her room, there were tears before the laughter came, and an unwelcome silence, everyone knowing there was something to say but nobody wanting to be the first to say it. "Before this gets any more awkward, Cedes has had a time of it, so could we leave the comment, telling off or whatever it is you guys came to say until she gets stronger please?" he asked

"That's what we were thinking" Daniel replied as the others looked at him wide eyed

"I believe you've found your missing rib" Heath smiled at him

"I know" he smiled back at him, that might have been the first time they'd actually ever smiled at each other

"I need to let Aunt Zina know she's a Great Aunt, this will give me so much pleasure, I mean great pleasure" he smiled watching the Grandma's fussing over their new Grandbaby "Martin" he called laughing as the call got answered "Is Zina anywhere around you?"

"Yeah she's here" Martin told him looking at Zina _"Do you think someone told him?"_ he mouthed as he passed her the phone

"No" she fanned him smiling as she grabbed the phone off him "H" she said her voice serious

"I just wanted you to hear first hand, we found Sam and Mercedes" he smiled

"Are they alright?" she asked jumping up off Martin's lap

"Yeah they're fine" he laughed "Are you sitting down?"

"No"

"Well sit down" he told her as she sat back on Martin holding the phone so he could hear what was being said "I just wanted to congratulate you" his laugh bursting out to the point he found it hard to talk "Hold up" he told her holding his tummy to get air

"Congratulate me?" she sat looking at Martin wondering how he knew about them

"Yeah, your a Great-Aunt how about that, Mercedes just had a baby girl"

"Fuck you Heath that isn't even fucking funny" she hissed at him

"It's not supposed to be funny, I can just see your face that's all, we as in Daniel and I just became Grandpa's our babies had a baby and she's beautiful" he looked down at his granddaughter telling her

Sam was on his phone filling in Michelle on what had been happening over the past 24 hours "I'll see you guys after work" she told him excitedly

"That was Michelle our lodger" he told their parents

"A fucking Grand Aunt" Zina kept repeating he could hear the smile in her voice "Where are they I need to see my Grand niece?" she jumped up repeating the address to Martin as they walked around the house grabbing stuff "Give us 2 hours max" she told him closing the call and calling the children to get sorted so they could get on their way, 3 hours later they were outside the hospital in Lima looking up at the building Zina nervous for meeting her Niece and Martin for Heath finding out about Zina and him. They held hands all the way to the room before looking at each other and both deciding to let go and ease Heath into it instead, smiling for their like minds

"Let me see that baby Girl" she burst into the room saying paying no attention to anyone else in the room until she'd met Imogen "Mercedes, he's grown into quite a hunk" she flashed her eyes across at Sam as she spoke making Mercedes laugh even through the pain "I'm not happy about you guys running away but this tops that shit" she looked back at Imogen telling them "She's beautiful" she cooed at her "Well I'm not even surprised it's in the genes" she laughed

"Congratulations" Martin kissed Mercedes saying

"Thank you Uncle Martin" she smiled, moving uncomfortably in the bed

"She's tired now I guess everyone needs to leave" Sam announce half an hour later, both of them smiling as everyone gave their goodbye hugs and kisses and left quietly. A week later Sam and Cedes left the hospital with their bouncing 3.3kg baby daughter already changing into a replica of her Mom's physique with her Dad's face

 **Two Weeks Later**

They were both tired, it was like Imogen thought the hospital was her home and the house was an alien environment, she never stopped crying, Michelle was walking around with cotton wool in her ears, smiling patiently, Cedes was crying because her baby hated her and Sam was still telling Imogen every day he loved her Mom and her, before he'd hit the streets to find a job, they needed to pay Tony back.

"Sam" Cedes shouted as she heard the door slam "Take her" she handed Imogen over quickly walking away "I'm stressed I'm getting mad with her"

"Cedes" he called her back, putting Imogen in her crib "We shouldn't pick her up every time she makes a noise, leave her" he pulled Cedes to him to hug her "She'll get tired and shut up"

"I can't listen to her cry" she looked up at him

"We're going to have to for a while, go for a walk of something, I'll sit with her"

"Thank you" she reached up and kissed his lips

"Don't thank me it's our daughter" he turned her round and slapped her butt as she moved off, making her giggle "Don't be too long the family's coming round in about an hour"

"And?"

"I'm going to tell them we're ready to talk"

"Why?"

"Because I'm fed up of seeing them every damn day, I need them to go home and let us get on with our lives"

 **"BRB"** she smiled

"Hurry up and get these eight weeks over and we can deal with that"

Cedes went out for her walk, returning home to a full house, all the parents were there plus her Aunt Zina and Uncle Martin, surprised that Imogen was still in her crib "Hi" she walked around saying to every one following it up with a kiss, before she landed on Sam's lap, she'd built some bridges with her parents over the past few weeks.

"I told everyone to leave Imogen alone before she's totally spoilt, and that we're ready to listen, talk whatever" he kissed her nose telling her

"Okay" she looked around the room

"This is a nice set up you guys have here, comfortable and stuff but we wondered if you'd consider coming back to Cali, the family's there to support you guys and well... we can see Imogen more often?" Ann looked at them enthused

"You could go back to school and be sure she's being looked after properly by one of us" Heath told them

"You guys could live at ours no problem" Daniel added

"Or ours" Hazel butted in looking at Daniel as she spoke

"We won't be coming back to Cali to live with you guys, we've got used to living on our own, doing our own thing, going back home isn't an option" Sam told them

"Your 16 years old" Heath reminded them "There aren't very many options"

"But we're living here now, and I have a job, I need to get some money together I owe a man" Sam reminded them "California's dangerous for us I don't want Cedes and the baby at risk"

"About that" Daniel looked around the room "That was another conversation we needed to have with you guys"

"Don't get mad" Heath added

The two men sat telling their children about how they took over the drug world in their spot back in the day, had a very lucrative business and made a fortune, how T died trying, and in the end how they married their mothers, had them and stepped out of the business they called TDH for their families.

"I can't believe you guys sold drugs" Sam looked at a horrified Cedes telling their parents

"I've looked down my nose nearly all my life at Marcus and Tony because you told me to keep away from that life, and all the time you'd been a part of it?" Cedes looked at her Dad asking him

"It was the only way to make money in those days" Hazel told her

"I can't believe it of Dad but you too, everything I do is wrong, everything, and you sat back and watched as he sold poison to kids?" Cedes said in disgust

"We set up the rehabilitation centre, that's what we did" Ann told her "Up to this day we work there every week"

"That's something I guess" Cedes told her, her mind mulling over the conversation "Hold up TDH" she looked at Sam "Wasn't that the organisation name you gave us so we could sell that package safely?"

"Yes" Heath looked around the room, unsure if the conversation was going too fast for them to take it all in, he got his phone out and called Tony

"So are you guys still operating?" Sam finally filled the silence asking

 **Tony**

Tony was bouncing around the room, he was happy on the one hand, they'd found Sam and Mercedes but on the other hand they were going to hear a lot of information that was going to change Mercedes perception of him and he wondered if that was going to be a good or a bad thing. He hadn't been told anything other than to make his way to Ohio because they'd been found and they needed to know the truth.

Mary and he sat in a near by café, after nearly three weeks of waiting around, Daniel had called to tell them this was the day, the car dropped them off at a café and they were told he'd call when he was ready for them.

He was stressing for actually telling Mercedes the truth, he'd still got a part of his mind telling him that was possible, he didn't know how he was going to cope with the fact that Sam got there first, but he was willing to give it a go, if she'd have him, he looked up to see a girl looking back at him, she actually looked innocent, he'd kind of forgotten what one of those types of girls looked like, he smiled "Hi" he mouthed **_'Nothing on you when you naked, got a pretty little heart,_** he smiled for one of Sam's smooth songs **'Cartier' by Bazzi** being the only thing he could think at the sight of her

"Hi" she waved at him smiling shyly, maybe for him catching her looking

"Back in a bit Mom" he told his Mom sitting across the table from him as he got up, unsure what he was going to say to this girl "Thanks for the smile" he sat at her table telling her

"Thanks for the hi" she smiled back at him

"I need to see more of that in my life do you mind if I just sit here and watch you smile?"

"As long as I can watch you watching me" she giggled telling him **_'You get so impatient, I know you got your cravings'_ **she sang in her head her body excited because this was happening

He sat looking at this beautiful brown skinned, woman about 20 if he had to guess, short curly hair, every hair out of place but perfect, her lips kissable, her eyes piercingly brown and her body slender, but not too skinny, just right "Do you need a drink, food, anything?" he asked

"I'm fine" she looked down at her almost full cup "I'm just giving my friends some space, and getting a well deserved ear rest"

"Ear rest?" he asked intrigued

"Yeah, their new baby, beautiful but killing my ears" she laughed

"So you live round here?"

"Yeah not far"

"You come from around here?"

"Not really, I'm an orphan, ward of the state until I'm 21, they really care about me" she rolled her eyes telling him

"Sorry" his eyes sad **'Sun peeking through the curtains, know I'm with you when you're hurting, baby girl, the world's ours, fuck you 24 hours'**

"That's fine, I got what I needed out of it, then I found my friends and well.. they're family now" she smiled

"I'm happy for you, I'm not from around these parts but I could be... for someone like you" he looked into her laughing eyes "I'm serious" he giggled _**'Yeah, that's my girl, I can't share, maybe I'm selfish, I get a little jealous'**_

"Well for what it's worth I think your cute too" a shyness coming over her for revealing that "And I have no real ties here" **_'And that's the thing, that thing right there'_**

"That's my Mom over there, do you want to come meet her?"

"So soon?" she giggled

"You'll get used to me I have a feeling and when I get those I act real quick" he got up holding his hand out for her to take, they walked over to his Mom "Mom this is ..." he looked at her realising he hadn't even asked

"Michelle" she smiled holding her hand out to shake his Mom's hand

"And you can call her Mom, someday" he smiled at her, they both laughed while Mary stood wondering what the hell was going on, smiling when she saw her Tony's look in their son's eye and knew he'd found his rib, watching as he kissed Michelle's hand "She's the most beautiful woman I've ever met, I hope one day she thinks I'm worthy" he told his Mom

"Welcome to the family Michelle" Mary told her hugging her

"Thank you" she looked between them wondering if this was all a joke "So.. what's your name?" she looked at Tony asking

"Tony, sorry it's Tony" he looked into her eyes smiling, all thoughts of Mercedes gone "Sorry" he walked away from her to answer his phone "We need to go, but could I get your number, I'll call as soon as my meetings over and we can get familiar" watching her tap her number in before she looked up smiling again handing him his phone back, he looked at her lips shaking his head "I want to kiss you, but once I do I know I won't leave so ..." he pecked her hand again "In a bit" he walked off watching his Mom say goodbye as he opened the door for them to leave. He looked at her smiling **_'You know we couldn't even make it upstairs, had to hit it right there'_** he sung in his head

Michelle stood watching them walking away, she actually liked him, he had a chat up line that was so corny it had to be genuine, she went back to her table wondering, while her hot drink went cold and those familiar word sung in her mind making her hum along laughing for being so familiar with Sam's favourite playlist _**'You know we couldn't even make it upstairs, had to hit it right there'**_ while she ordered another hot drink, Sam and Cedes had asked for 4 hours

 **Sam & Cedes' Home**

"I'll get it" Heath jumped up

"It'll be Michelle we asked her to give us a few hours" Sam said watching him walking towards the door, jumping up when he saw Tony walk through it "What the... has he threatened you guys?" he looked at his Dad asking

"No" Tony smiled "It's good to see your still alive and well" he walked towards him fist ready to say hello

"What's going on?" Sam asked slowly accepting Tony's hello

"Tony's the T in TDH now" his Dad told him

"You running away got me in a lot of shit, if I'd have been able to tell you that shit was yours too I would have, but apparently you guys were never to know"

Cedes stood shocked at the whole turn of events "So we're all still drug dealers?" she asked

"Technically I guess the answer is yes" her Mom looked at her sadly "If we could stop we would but the streets are infected, the most we can hope to do now is make sure people are safe, get the help if they want it and ensure the shit's not infected"

"And that nobody else comes in with poison" Ann added

"We're the drug dealers" Cedes said, still in shock, she was taking everything in "So why do we live the way we do?"

"So what's Marcus in prison for?" Sam asked

"Marcus is just Marcus he does what he does to keep the heat off the family" Daniel told him

"So this" he looked around the room "Is the family, the drug family?"

"This is the family" Heath told him, his voice serious "Never disrespect it"

"As in steel a load of drugs off yourself and give it away to another... what would you call it a cartel?" he laughed at the ridiculousness

"Tony" Cedes got up looking at him "I've always looked down at you for what you do, and I'm sorry about that, I mean really sorry" she went towards him hugging him

"Thanks" Sam smiled at him "For helping me out regardless of what it cost you" he hugged him

"Your my family I had to help I thought you had one of those cheerleaders pregnant or something" he laughed

"I had someone pregnant, I didn't know that at the time" Sam smiled "Imogen's upstairs, she's three weeks old"

"You guys had a baby?" he asked shocked looking around at his Uncles who hadn't told him anything and let him walk into this

"Sorry Tony" Heath offered "We know how you feel about Mercedes and well.. we didn't know..."

"It's fine, congratulations" he turned back to the new parents saying

"So what's happening here?" Mary finally butted in asking

"I want in" Sam announced

"You can't" his Mom told him

"I can, I've lost enough money as it is"

"I mean you can't operate from here, this belongs to the Brady's, you'll have to come back to Cali"

"It's a big patch you can live anywhere in Cali" Hazel told him

"Sam" Cedes looked at him her eyes wide, telling him she needed to talk

"I've made a decision Cedes" he looked in her eyes telling her "It's not fair for Tony to take all this on alone"

"Listen" Zina jumped in, everyone's attention focused on her

 **Zina & Martin **

"I got to hear this" Heath rolled his eyes

"Martin could front it, let the kids live their lives and still reap the benefits" Zina suggested

"No" Tony said outright "Sorry Uncle Martin, I'm not ready to take a back seat"

"If you want to stay on the front that's great, but Martin could look after Sam and Mercedes interests" Zina told him

"It is a family business I guess" Daniel confirmed

"I know that, I wouldn't be suggesting it otherwise" she smiled, he knew she had something up her sleeve

"Please do not fucking tell me..." Heath rolled his eyes again

"Heath" Hazel hissed

"What?" he looked at her "We're up in here talking about taking over the damn drug business and your sassing about me swearing?" he asked in disbelief

"The children" she looked at Sam and Mercedes telling him

"Hell with children, children got children Mrs Jones in case you didn't fucking notice" Zina told her sassing "And Zina Jones is Zina Samuels now" she smiled at her brother waiting for him to say shit

"Zee I thought that would have happened back in the day when you guys were bed hopping, shit don't get past me, I always thought Martin was cool for you"

"Bull shit" she hissed at him

"It's true" Daniel laughed looking at Martin "You tried to get Ann and I didn't like it, so I never told you"

"Congratulations" Mary grabbed hold of one of her best friend tighter "Does that mean your coming back to Cali?"

"Depends on the answer" she looked back at Heath

He smiled at Martin walking over to him "You finally got the guts" he shook his hand

"Finally" Martin smiled at him

"I know I'm never gonna have to come deal with him harsh, congratulations" he kissed Zina's cheek telling her, watching as she held her chest, for witnessing one of the rare occasions her brother showed her actual affection

 **Tony**

Tony was standing watching this fond exchange, his mind on Michelle, he'd left her a while ago telling her he'd be back, he took his phone out to check if she'd been calling him and found nothing "I need to go somewhere" he finally announced not willing to let this girl slip out of his hands "It's important" he looked at Daniel, because he was always the one who gave him a hard time

"I've booked us a table, we've got maybe half an hour, do it after" Daniel told him "This hasn't finished yet"

"Okay" he told him all the breath leaving his body with his huff

"Oh" Sam jumped up hearing the door knock "I'll get it, conversation will have to wait a while, she pays rent" he told everyone

"She's good people" Cedes told everyone

"This is..."

"Tony" Michelle gasped as she stepped in the living room "What are you doing here?"

"This is my family" he told her, half smiling wondering how much she actually knew about him "You?"

"This is my family, well it's where I live" she looked at Cedes "Screaming baby and all" she laughed

"You know Michelle?" Cedes asked him smiling at the tension between them, looking at Sam wide eyed

"We just met in the café" Michelle told her smiling

"You met?" Cedes smiled at her "Come on let's leave the parents to it, half and hour you say?" she turned to ask a nodding Daniel before they went towards the garden "So you guys met in the café?" Cedes asked looking between them

"Yeah brief but intense" Tony turned to say smiling as he followed Sam

"Tony" Sam grabbed him by the shoulder as they got to the door "I feel we need to build a relationship, we're family and I don't know what having an older brother feels like" he pulled him away, Cedes and Michelle stood watching them walk through the double doors and out into the garden

"Well I know we both like music, singing and writing" Tony laughed "And I also ..." they walked off talking


	5. Chapter 5

**Ohio**

 **Sam & Cedes, Tony & Michelle**

"The garden" Michelle asked knowing they rarely went out there "What for?" she enquired as they walked

"I can see it in your face, you've found it, it's the real thing, that thing you've always wanted that Sam and I have?"

"I think so" she looked at Tony stood talking to Sam down the grass "We haven't even kissed yet and I feel ..." she shook with excitement "I feel like a school girl" she grabbed Cedes hand telling her

"Exciting isn't it?" she asked a nodding Michelle "imagine feeling like that every damn day" Cedes rolled her eyes at the deliciousness of it "That's my life girl, and it looks like it's going to be yours too" they looked at their men talking to each other

"Our parents just told us their big in the drug industry, Sam wants in but..." she looked back at Michelle "We'll talk about that, I don't want him to change"

"Is Tony..."

"Yeah, but I guess that's what their talking about"

"Why aren't they including you?" she looked at them asking

"Sam's my man, he makes all the big decisions, of course if I don't agree I'll make him change it" she laughed

"Of course" Michelle laughed as they watch them walk back towards them

"Okay" Sam looked at Cedes and pointed at the chair behind her, she sat down waiting "We've made a decision" he told her watching as Tony grabbed Michelle round the waist "Tony" he looked at him to carry on

"Obviously the business is cut three equal ways, at the moment it goes into one big pot and everyone just lives" he told them "The business is valued at around $37billion today, which makes us stink in real terms, most of it is in property, businesses, hospitals and various local centres" he sat down pulling Michelle with him "The plan is.." he looked at Sam

"The plan is to make the streets clean" Sam announced "Obviously we'll have those we can never help, but we plan on focusing more on getting the streets clean, we'll keep the trade, so we know what's coming in, but we'll work on some other level"

"I'm planning on taking a back seat, it's fine when you don't have anything or anyone to look out for, I get where Uncle's coming from, having someone changes everything" Tony looked at Michelle saying "I think I have someone forever and that's worth stopping all that front line stuff for"

"I was hasty before" Sam looked at Cedes telling her "I have no intentions of putting you or Imogen at risk, I'm taking a back seat too, this is my forever" he sat down and grabbed her hand

"So it seems like the only person out there that's going to know it's our business is Uncle Martin, because we decided were going to ask him to be the front man on the dealing part of the business" Tony announced

"Oh and we're moving back to California, moving out of town and gong back to school" Sam finished "Maybe next month in time for my birthday" he smiled "Any questions, stuff you don't agree with, suggestions?"

"Not that I can think of" Cedes told him

"You?" Tony looked at Michelle asking

"No" she looked back at Cedes wide eyed, feeling funny for being included at this early stage

They went back to relay the information to their parents, it was received well and later they officially asked Martin to front making a toast when he accepted. Heath and Daniel sat watching Sam and Tony taking over the business, by the end of the meal, they'd been given their orders, they were moving out of the little town they lived in and being told they were about to enjoy some of that money they'd made living it up in Hollywood or somewhere, the next day the parents went home leaving them to make their plans.

"I've been waiting to do this all day" Tony grabbed Michelle as they stood on the step, the car out of sight and Sam and Cedes making their way back inside, her hands flew up because of the speed at which he spun her, he grabbed her waist to steady her "Sorry" he smiled puling her closer to him "Can I kiss you?" he looked deep in her eyes asking

"Yes" she gasped before he finished talking, her eyes closing while she waited for his lips to touch hers, it was intense, her body was tingling, she didn't even know where that had come from but it was happening, she couldn't stop this now and tell him it was her first ever kiss, it seemed like an age before she felt his lip brush against hers and then he was teasing her lips open, he was sucking softly at her lips begging them to join in, she finally caught herself and opened her mouth to give him access, before her hands grabbed his neck and she started begging him to keep up

"Wow" Tony finally let her lips go saying "Was that your first kiss?" he pulled back asking

"Yeah, could you tell?"

"I could tell you meant it" he smiled before he went back in, this time softer, she got the drift real quick by the end of that week they were a proper couple, the deed had been done and Tony wasn't leaving her for an inch, he was a changed man

Martin sent word that Zina, the children and he were moving back to California in a week and Tony needed to be there to hand things over, Heath had secured some properties in Hollywood, that they needed to come have a look at before the final spend, and Tony and Sam finally decided they'd live in Beverley Hills

They set about moving back to California Cedes was excited she'd always wanted to finish school and get that singing thing that niggled in the back of her mind up front to prove to herself she could actually do what she envied the girls on the TV for. Sam was already dreaming about his football, he'd taken five months out and that could be career breaking, but he was confident he'd been good enough to actually ask any Coach to give him a spot on their team.

They packed everything they needed into the barrels, boxes and bags and watched them drive off to do the three day journey back to California. Michelle and Tony were super happy, she'd finally told him she'd always fancied her hand in designing as a career, and he was up for making that happen for her. Tony found it hard to find something he really wanted to do but some soul searching found Music and Art to be his forte, three weeks later they were moving back to California, this time was going to be different, this time they all knew who they were.

 **California**

They eventually brought two houses across the street from each other in Beverley Hills, their parents moved into their Hollywood homes, Sam's Mom was the happiest he'd seen her, the parents carried on the work they'd started in their community, Martin ran the business from Mary's old house in Los Angeles, saved for when Marcus came back and decided what he wanted to do with it, Zina and the children lived in Hollywood too

They'd wanted to go back to their old school, but life had changed so much for them, they finally decided to move to a school closer to their new home, where no one knew anything about them, they were A grade student catching up wasn't even an issue, that happened quickly and they breezed through 12th grade graduating with sufficient grade to get into their chosen vocations. Sam went straight into playing for the state team, he was away during the season but they had regular hook ups, he could afford it, everyone was living their dream.

 **3 Years La **ter****

 ** **20 Years Old****

It was Imogen's 3rd birthday and they'd as usual had a low key family get together to celebrate, they'd just given her a beautiful black and white Bichon Frise puppy, she was all over it, to the dismissal of all the other presents she'd been brought, Zina was fussing about the dress she'd brought her that the puppy was slobbering all over and everyone stood around laughing

Imogen had changed from the squashed up baby they saw minutes after she was born, she had uncontrollable curly long light brown almost tinted ginger hair, that needed to be kept tied up to keep it from being totally tangled up, and to put cream on it she hated having her hair touched, she'd even wake out of her sleep screaming at the slightest touch of a comb in her hair. They tended to keep it soft by washing it every day and raking oil through it to soften and smooth it and she was catching on that the game wasn't about swimming but getting that hair of hers under control.

Her eyes the colour of her Father's but the shape and how she used them was all her Mother while everything else about her looked like her Father, she'd make them laugh so hard when she screwed her little face up pushing her lips out together like she actually knew what her Mom meant by it, or she gave that vacant look telling you without word she was not having it. She didn't give genuine smiles away to just anybody either, she'd just close her eyes and raise her eyebrows before bringing them together in her classic Daddy frown and put sun glasses on when she was tired and wanted to close her eyes instead of listening to anyone, but there was always baking and singing.

Sam stood watching her pulling the hair out her new puppy while it ran around trying to get away from her "Stop now!" she shouted at it, her hands on hips, her frown on and her lips stuck out demanding he obey her order "Mommy" she screamed when she got no joy, he could see her fast falling out with her birthday present. He looked over at Cedes laughing with her parents, that was something they hadn't seen happening again a while back, he smiled as he watched the relationship that was once very much obedient daughter smiling as he now saw equals standing laughing, talking, exchanging stories and hugging "It's time" he looked at Tony smiling mischievously

"Yeah, it's time" he grinned his eyes searching the garden for Michelle "Let's do this" he grinned like a cat

"Cedes" Sam called her from over with the women "Come here" he held his arm up for her to come to him

"Shell" Tony smiled calling her with his hand action

"Challenge" Sam smiled looking at the two women "Whoever does the puzzle first get's the prize"

"Okay" Tony asked Michelle, as the two men emptied the boxes on the table, looked at each other and walked away

"There's about a thousand pieces here" Cedes shouted after them

"So I guess if I was you I'd stop talking and get on with it" Sam laughed telling her

The girls looked at each other tutting, for this damn stupid game the guys were playing

"Are you ladies done yet?" Tony came over kissing Michelle asking, she just looked at him and cut her eye "I'll help" he sat beside her grabbing some pieces "Sam" he called him over "The ladies need help" he told him Cedes watching as Sam came straight over

"Thanks babe" Cedes leaned into him smiling

"The numbers are on the back" Tony told them turning them all over

Twenty minutes later everyone was standing around watching them put the puzzles together, the girls didn't know Sam and Tony had a plan "Okay we done?" Sam looked up at Tony putting the last few pieces in

"Ready" Tony finally said

"I was first though" Cedes announced, making Sam laugh for not acknowledging that he'd just sat there and put it all together for her

"One, Two, Three" they nodded, just like rehearsed, and turned the puzzle off the box and over onto its back lifting the box off at the same time

"What?" Cedes screamed looking up at him "Yes" she jumped up at him saying over and over again looking back at the puzzle spelling out, 'Cedes will you marry me?'

Michelle was sitting crying into her hands "Babe" Tony hugged her waiting for her to stop crying "I didn't think it was that bad"

"It's not, it's really good I mean really fucking good" she muttered

"He's still waiting for an answer" Mary looked at her saying

"Yes of course it's yes" she grabbed hold of him

"We have a wedding to plan" Ann announced grabbing hold of Hazel's hand, the four women went into planning mode while the two couples went off to let what was happening sink in for them

 **5 Months later**

They'd decided to have a double wedding and take separate honeymoons, the parents, as you'd have guessed planned everything except the dresses, while they went off to college or pursued their careers, with everything stopping a week before, their few friends went with them to a hotel for the hen night while the guys jumped in the jet and went off for the weekend to Vegas, the highlight of the actual day was the grooms slow walking down the Isle while their brides sang as the congregation smiled, swayed and held their chest for the sweetness as Cedes and Michelle harmonised on _**'The Vow' by RuthAnne**_ impressed when they got a pre-married kiss at the alter

 _When time is up and the sun it dies, do the rivers flood and the ocean dries, hand in hand under the falling sky, I will love you_  
 _When I'm oh so old and I lose my mind, I'll still look at you like it's the first time, so many say it, and it's all a lie, but I will love you_  
 _ **Cedes:** You are the reason I make it through the day, you gimme the reason to let on my ways, the beauty goes, the money spent, and everything else fades away, you are my constant **Both:** Mmm_

 _When we've walked the earth every inch and mile, laughed so hard until we cried, through every trial and every trial, I will love you_  
 _ **Michelle:** Cause you are the reason I make it through the day, You gimme the reason to let on my ways, the beauty goes, the money spent, and everything else fades away, You are my constant **Both:** Mmm **Cedes: Y** ou are my constant **Both:** Mmm (I... I... I...I will love you)_

 _ **Cedes:** When time is up and the sun it dies, do the rivers flood and the ocean dries, hand in hand under the falling sky, **Both:** I will love you_

By the time they finished performing the audience was ready for a wedding, there were a lot of laughs throughout the day Sam and Tony both being the life and soul of their party, their wives soaking up the day, they eventually left the wedding venue for their separate honeymoon destinations and arrived back two weeks later, getting straight back to life. They all had college to finish and goals to reach, Cedes trying her hand at song writing and singing, something she'd always wanted to do and Sam carried on with his football career. Tony finally made it into Art school and did that via an extension class while Michelle made plans to start their family straight away.

 **2 Years Later**

 **22 Years Old**

Sam was due in for Imogen's 5th birthday party in four days, it was hard to believe she was going to be 5 already, going on 15 with that attitude she was carrying around, the Grandparents were setting about spoiling her even more for her day than they did usually, not possible, and Cedes was shouting trying to get order "Sam's due any minute" she announced hoping everyone would get the hint and fuck off home, but everyone except Michelle settled in

Michelle had changed somewhat since getting married, she'd turned into some sort of fashion guru, setting her own trend with blue hair today, she seemed to change that on a weekly basis, draping herself in Gucci that was her label, she really didn't care what it looked like if it was Gucci she had to have it, there was hardly any hint of her natural self left to recognise. She'd swell every now and again and Cedes thought maybe she was having some problems dealing with the new lifestyle, Tony seemed to have it all under control and Sam had told her on many occasions to leave their shit alone, she wasn't up for not doing as he'd asked, he had a habit of punishing her in the bedroom department, she didn't see him that regular as it was.

"Later girl" Michelle told her laughing as she left

"Later" Cedes face told her she wasn't happy as she cut her eye at their parents, who weren't paying her any attention, she watched Michelle leave hatching her plan not to feed or water them anymore until they got the hint and left

"We ordered lunch" Ann called across to her just when it seemed to her they were getting restless

"Oh Good" she replied sarcasm dripping, but she enjoyed the various pizza's once they turned up, she sat picking some Jalapeno peppers of a slice that Imogen insisted was hers only to watch her feed it to the dog before coming back to have another slice lovingly prepared for her "That's yours, from Mommy" Cedes kissed her daughter telling her, watching as she went to sit with her dog to eat

"Hi" she heard Sam's voice making her spin round smiling, his eyes searching the garden for her, she smiled when they finally rested on her "Love you" he mouthed seconds before Imogen shouted him

"Daddy" she yelled before she went charging towards him

"Sweetheart" he picked her up hugging her "I love your Mommy and I love you too" he whispered in her ear as they hugged

"We love you too" she lifted off him grinning at him as she spoke

"Thank you" he pulled her back in hugging her for as long as she'd let him before approaching the parents hugging and kissing as he went, looking up for Cedes every now and again, they'd been together for five years now, he'd been away for the game so many times it was almost second skin, but every time he saw her his mind sang those words **_'Hey, lady, let me tell you why, I can't live my life without you (oh, baby)'_** forcing him to see her as that cheeky, sex starved 16 year old he'd met in Atlanta again and he fell in love with all over again, again. He stood nodding to some conversation the Dad's were having with him about business, he wanted them to finish before he moved off because his mind told him once he got hold of Cedes it was going to be a few days before she let him go again, she had those eyes that meant business, on him

Cedes stood with the biggest smile on her face as she watched him with their daughter, whispering in her ear, she knew what he was saying making her feel all warm inside, her smile wider when he finally felt her staring and looked across the room. She giggled inside watching him frustrated as he listened to whatever their Dad's were saying to him, bending as he put Imogen down realising she was struggling to get away from him, watching her run to her Mommy, his smile widening as he watched the two most important people in his life kiss

"Daddy said he loves us" Imogen told her

"And we love him too sweetheart" she told her watching Sam smiling, he could hear what they were saying, He finally closed the conversation down and made his way across to her smiling as Imogen shouted his name excitedly **_"Every time I see you walking by I cannot breathe,_ _you don't understand but in time you will"_ **she sung as he walked towards her, watching him smile

"I do" he told her pulling her in by the waist for the deepest kiss, breaking apart when Imogen made some noise telling them she thought they were yukie, they finally got the night to themselves and a few days before the party.

 **Imogen's Birthday**

"We have an announcement" Tony clapped his hands as everything wound down

"Not another proposal?" Mary asked laughing

"No" he pulled Michelle closer to him "We're pregnant" he announced to screams of joy, Cedes went straight in for a hug "And we want to return the honour and ask you guys to be Godparents" he looked at Sam and Cedes

"Thank you" Sam hugged him with tears in his eyes, they'd had so many talks about Tony becoming a father he was happy it was finally happening for them

"When's it due?" Mary asked pushing people out the way to get to her daughter-in-law

"Just under 4 months time" Michelle told her opening her baggy cardigan to reveal her neat perfectly rounded baby bump

"Perfect ending to the night" Daniel tapped Tony's back "Your Dad would be so happy right now" he squeezed his shoulder before hugging him "Congratulations"

"Thanks, Uncle D" Tony widened his eyes at Sam for getting a positive comment from his Dad

 **Sam & Cedes **

"Sam" Cedes purred as they got ready for bed that night, he didn't answer he just looked across at her, his face already asking what "You know with Imogen being like 5 now and well..." she stopped combing her hair in the mirror to turn to look at him "What would you say to us having another..."

"No" he smiled

"It would be easier to have one now than to wait until I've made my breakthrough song and then have to stop again, it makes sense to do it now" she turned to face him

"No" he looked at her making himself clear

"How the fuck are you just going to say no with no discussion?" she asked her voice raised

"There is no discussion, we're not going through that again ever"

"Not every pregnancy is the same"

"For you it would be"

"How the hell are we going to know if we don't try?"

"I said no"

"But if we don't try..."

"I said" he looked in her eyes, letting her know the conversation was finished "No"

"Sam" she had to have another try, the look on his face told her she'd lost that battle, she needed to time it better if she was going to win this war

"Cedes" Sam moaned as he got in bed to her turning her back to him and brushing his hand off her "I'm gone for a week tomorrow, is this really how you want to leave this?" he asked waiting for a while before he turned his back to her and eventually he fell asleep

The next morning she served more of the cold shoulder and turned her back on him when he came towards her for his usual kiss "I don't know that I'll be here when you get back" she told him her back to him as she pretended to do something in the sink

He had his ear phones in but he heard what she'd said, he walked up behind her pinning her to the sink, before he put one plug in her ear singing in her other ear " _ **You so fucking precious when you smile, hit it from the back and drive you wild"**_ he sang as his hand moved around to invade her skirt flicking her pantie line off her skin smiling as her head hit his chest _**"Girl I lose myself up in those eye-eye-eye-eye-eyes, I just had to let you know you're, mine"**_ he sang letting his fingers invade her body, she was so up for it she sighed as her legs opened to let him in " _ **Hands on your body, I don't wanna waste no time"**_ he chuckled __"Where did you say you were going to be when I got back?" he pulled his hand away asking her, watching her begging eyes as she swung round to look at him "You wasted the night babe" he kissed her lips and walked away **'Mine' by Bazzi** she hated his punishment, she was angry straight away

"When are you going to stop listening to that fucking tired shit?" she hissed at him

"When I stop thinking about you I guess" he threw back at her still moving towards the door

"Bastard" she shouted after him

"Don't let me come back hearing Imogen using those words" he turned smiling at her, _**"You're Mine"**_ he grinned singing, she wanted to pick something up and throw it at him but, she was up for winning the war.

That was the beginning of the baby war for them, Sam was determined there were going to be no more babies and Cedes couldn't see the problem, she was so consumed in her baby drama it took her a while to realise she hadn't seen Michelle for nearing two days, Tony had taken to not going into town and he seemed to be there every time she tried to go round to talk about her baby drama, so she'd gone to see her Mom and stayed for a while, being as Sam was out of town again

"I'm going back tomorrow, Sam's back on Sunday for a few days and I'm..." she looked at her Mom to see if she'd said too much already

"You're what?"

"Nothing" she fanned her hand through her hair, it was obvious there was something

"Mercedes" her Mom gave her the don't bullshit a bullshitter look "You've never been a good liar"

"Okay but you can't mention it to Sam" she sat forward in her chair "Promise me Mom"

"Promise" she smiled sitting forward with her

"We have a war going on" she giggled "I want another baby, he's saying no, but I know what it's like to be an only child, so does he, I know he doesn't want that for Imogen"

"What did he say?" Hazel asked her

"There's been no conversation just no, nothing else not even an explanation"

"That's maybe because he heard the doctor when you were having Imogen"

"Why what did the doctor say?"

"That you have Eisenmenger's syndrome, you have a bad heart, Imogen should have killed you, she's a miracle, you can't have anymore children Mercedes"

"He knows that?"

"Yes" she grabbed her hand telling her "He also knows that should it come to it, you'd choose the baby, but he told you he'd choose you and you'd hate him for the rest of your lives together"

"Where did I get this Eisen whatever from?"

"Heart defects run the family in different forms"

"Is that why you only had me?"

"You're our miracle" she cupped her face telling her

"So if it's that serious why don't I have medication?"

"Risk is the pressure pregnancy puts on your heart" she smiled "You really don't remember any of what happened when you were in hospital with Imogen?"

"I slept most of the time, sometimes I didn't even know what was a dream and what was reality, I was so drugged up" she sat back finally understanding Sam's dilemma, her body screaming for a child, her mind was logically telling her it was never going to happen, the thought of not being there for Imogen, or with Sam was unbearable

She went back home the next day, she didn't go straight to see Michelle's she needed to have a conversation with Sam, he arrived home the next day and she sat calmly telling him she didn't think it was the right time to have another baby because she'd decided to start her career. He wasn't convinced, he called her Mom to be told they'd had a confidential conversation, he knew that conversation they'd had the night before was the most difficult thing she'd had to come to terms with to date.

Weeks went by and he saw her disappear into herself, sitting around the house, not paying attention to Imogen let alone him, more nights were spent looking at her back, and there was no music in sight "Cedes what's going on for you?" he grabbed her hand as she walked past him in an attempt to get out of the kitchen because he'd walked in

"Nothing" she looked up at him giving a small smile "I'm fine"

"I know there's something, please talk to me"

"I can't ... I don't want to talk" she shouted at him dragging her hand away from him and walking off

He made more calls to her parents as the situation got worse, finally realising the problem was theirs to sort "Cedes" he burst into the music room one evening fed up with it all "We need to talk"

"I'm busy"

"What too busy for me?"

"Yes" she looked up at him her eyes filled with fire

He wanted to shout himself but that wasn't going to help anything "Cedes I wish I could leave this alone but..." he sighed "Have you fallen out of love with me, is it all the travelling?" he asked

"No it isn't"

"So you know what it is?" he asked walking towards her "Play me what you're working on" he smiled "please?" he sat beside her at the piano "Please?" he used his puppy eyes on her

"It's rough I think it has the making of my first single, I've got the chorus see what you think" she smiled more than he'd seen her smile in a while, she started playing the piano singing **"O _oh I can't go any further, if you only knew, the darkness inside, I can't go any further, if you only knew the darkness inside of me"_**

"I want to know Cedes, I really need to know"

"Really?" she looked to the side of her at him "I think you know already"

"Do I?"

"This heart condition Sam, don't act like you don't fucking know" she stood up walking away from him angry

"We both know about that" he looked at her puzzled

"I didn't"

"We were both there when your parents told the doctor"

"I'd had that many fucking drugs I didn't even know what fucking day it was, you let me bang on about having another baby knowing all along I couldn't and that was cruel"

"That's why I just kept saying no, I thought you knew, honest Cedes I swear on my life, I thought you knew" he got up and walked towards her "I swear I thought you knew" he grabbed hold of her hand "I'm sorry" he let her go when he felt her trying to get loose "Cedes?" he looked at her trying to understand what was happening for her, not moving fast enough as she lashed out at him, he stood for a few seconds taking her slaps before he realised, she wasn't in control of herself and grabbed her hands restraining her, "It's alright babe, I've got you" he kept whispering in her ear until she calmed down "I'm guessing that was the darkness inside you sung about?" he asked as he sat hugging her

She laughed before she turned to hug him and cried in his arms for a long while, until Imogen appeared at the door, quickly followed by the Nanny "Daddy" she screamed at seeing him, his eyes on Cedes as she jumped up off him and left the room to go sort herself out

"Sweetheart" he scraped her up in his arms hugging her to him "I love you're Mommy and I love you too" he told her as she snuggled into his neck

"We love you too Daddy"

He rolled his eyes as the business phone rang, picking it up to hear Tony's voice "Sam we have business to sort out, five minutes"

"T can you not deal with this, I've got stuff going on..."

"Sorry Sam, I have problems too, but we have business, the girls understand that"

"Five minutes" he told him, rolling his eyes and closing the call down "Cedes" he shouted up the stairs as he grabbed his keys "Back in a while, business" he didn't hear anything from her and looked up their winding stairs to see her just standing there, she gave him a smile but it wasn't from the heart

 _ **"Hey lady, let me tell you why, I can't live my life, without you"**_ he looked up at her singing, she gave him a proper smile

 _ **"Every time I see you walking by I cannot breathe"**_ she sang back, it was weak but it was there

"I'll try not to be too long" he blew her a kiss and walked out the door

 **Tony & Michelle**

This was Michelle's third pregnancy, she'd lost the others weeks in, the first were twins that came dislodged two days apart, just three months into their marriage, they'd been devastated and kept it to themselves when the second pregnancy ended just as abruptly five months later. After the first miscarriage Tony was in a bad mood, constantly snapping at everyone that jeered them about starting a family, and Michelle was going to a dark place with every day that passed. When they got pregnant the second time he'd show a front while everyone was around him but when Sam and he sat banging out lyrics or playing cards he'd present as a man with the world on his shoulders, eventually he swore Sam to secrecy, he needed to talk he told him everything, Sam shared some of his time with Cedes and offered an ear when he needed one, they got close

Michelle's mood changed drastically, he was scared for where she was going and demanded they see a GP, the next day they were in the surgery listening to the doctor telling them she was one of those rare Mom's that had Prenatal Depression, they opted for the diet control rather than medication conscious of the baby "Only six weeks of this" he smiled as he fed her a healthy bowl of power food

Tony took some well needed time out, he called Martin and backed off a bit, Sam seemed to have stuff going on that he wasn't talking about lately, they were both preoccupied with life, the business was slipping and they needed to work that out, they'd made a commitment some years back and although family life was important, they had great responsibilities.

His business phone rang one afternoon as he sat rubbing Michelle's feet, learning some techniques from the masseur, trying to relax her "Could you take over?" he asked grabbing for his phone and getting up "Martin, what's up" he asked leaving the room "I didn't even know that was happening, give us an hour" he told him closing the call

He quickly made the call to Sam "Sam" he called when he answered "We have business to sort out, five minutes" he went back into the nursery and said his goodbye's to Michelle, grabbed his keys and left

 **Sam & Tony**

They found Martin waiting on the doorstep "Boss" he acknowledged as they walked towards the front door

"Uncle Martin" Sam laughed for him always being so correct about things

"Uncle" Tony nodded "What's so urgent?" everyone sitting down as he spoke

"Hostile take over on East side we think" Martin told them

"Do we have any men down?" Tony asked Sam listening and taking in what was happening

"None reported so far but we don't think this is the end" Martin reported

"You know what to do nip it in the bud, send a strong message" Tony told him

"Yes Boss and I also needed to tell you guys that Marcus is out"

"Marcus?" Tony asked shocked and excited, he'd been so far away these past three years it was impossible to go see him but the last time they talked he never mentioned he was even smelling coming out "That's great, where is he?"

"I don't know I told him where you guys were"

"He'll visit mom first" Tony told him they got up to make their way back home stuff was going on for both of them

 **Marcus**

Marcus was making his way to another important stop, he'd have liked to have seen his Mom first but she was all the way out in the sticks and he wasn't going to get back tonight once he left town, he jumped in a cab and made his way over to Nadine's house

"Hey" he smiled as he got out the car to see her waiting for him on the doorstep

"I was last wasn't I?" she smiled wiggling as she waited for him to get to her, he pulled her in and kissed her, he'd waited nearly 7 years to do that. Nadine had begged him not to take the wrap for that assault, but it was one of his crew who he knew would talk so he took it, she'd told him before he got sentenced that she wasn't waiting and she didn't in a fashion, she got on with her life, but she loved him, so she kept in touch. Over the years their relationship had grown stronger and he'd made all sorts of promises about what life was going to be, she just needed to give him that chance to prove it

"You were the first one on my mind" he cocked his head telling her, pushing her inside the house

"Mom's in" she whispered to him

"Make your excuses and come on" he told her letting her go to go do what she needed to, there was some shouting before he saw her come out with her purse in hand rolling her hazel brown eyes at her Mom's drama "I knew she wasn't going to take me being back easy" he laughed kissing her again

"You better mean everything you promised me Marc" she stood warning him

"No more prison I swear" he held his hand up telling her "My families moved, did you know?"

"No I saw your brother a few times but I didn't ..."

"You should have told him who you are"

"I don't even know who the hell I am" she laughed

"Well you're going to meet all of them today" he grabbed her hand and pulled her to the waiting car, opening the door to let her in

 **Sam & Cedes **

"Cedes" Sam ran into the house shouting, he needed to make sure she was alright "Ced..." he stood watching her, as he opened the bedroom door, cutting her hair off "What are you doing?"

"Making a stand" she looked up at him, still cutting without even looking

"A stand for what?"

"Well you know like everyone takes a stand against cancer, by doing something, I'm cutting my hair in protest against a bad heart"

"Seriously?" he walked towards her, looking at her hair, she'd already gone too far for him to suggest anything "They cut hair to support cancer patients, not for hearts" he smiled as he got to her

"Well now they can do it for my heart" she looked at him smiling

"Okay I think we can cope with this for maybe a month" he looked up at the mess she'd made of her hair "And then we need to invest in some of that Indian hair I see you messing with all the while"

"I'll be alright Sam" she grabbed his face telling him "I have you" she kissed his lips lightly smiling as he hugged her, making her feel safe

"You know I couldn't do anything without you too, don't you?"

"That makes me feel happy" she buried her head into his chest "I love you Sam"

"I think I've gone way past love Cedes" he kissed her head telling her _**"I want to be your man, I wanna be your man"**_ he sang making her smile as he sang their song

 _ **"Better not pass me by, cause if you do you'll lose a good thing"**_ she sung back at him

 _ **"Cause what I got to say, is seal with a kiss, and a wedding ring (wedding ring)"**_ the sang together

"I'm glad we have a song, it says more than I can express" she told him

"I need to do some expressing" he smiled when she looked up at him "You've starved me for weeks"

"Is that what all this is about?" she looked round at him her face set in fuck you mode

"No it's about getting you back on track, so we can get back on track I wasn't saying for now just putting my feelings out there"

"Oh" she frowned

"What?" he asked for the look on her face

"I was hoping we could get some Bazzi action going on"

"Seriously?" he smiled as she pulled his t-shirt towards her

"Seriously" she took his lips with a force, he knew he was up for one of her special afternoons "Everything" she smiled at him

"Music" he pulled away from her to put his phone in the pod "Oh Marcus is back we have dinner at Tony's around 5pm" he mentioned as he stripped

"We might get there, depending on how I feel once I get started"

"It's business" he told her

"This is business" she lay naked on the bed waiting for him to join her "We're really gonna get into this are you ready, I mean really ready?" she laughed at **_'_** ** _I'm so fucking happy you're alive, swear to God I'm down if you're down all you gotta say is right, girl anything I can do just to make you feel alright, oh oh oh oh, I just had to let you know you're fine, running circles 'round my mind, even when it's rainy all you ever do is shine, you on fire, you a star just like Mariah, man this feel incredible, I'll turn you into a bride, you're mine'_** rung in the air as they got lost in each other ' **Mine' by Bazzi**

"Sam" Cedes called waking him up some hours later "Were you serious about going to Tony's?"

"What?" he jumped up asking "Shit did I fall asleep?" he looked around the room till he found her at the bottom of the bed

"Were you serious about Tony's?"

"Yeah about 5pm what time is it?"

"We have twenty minutes, you know that, right"

"Seriously" he threw the covers off him and jumped out of bed, grabbing her hand as he went

"What are you doing?" she giggled as she followed him

"Getting a shower, one of our special showers" he smiled

"We have twenty minutes"

"So stop talking" he turned the shower on, handed her a flannel and stepped in _**"A **ll** you gotta say is right**_"" he reminded her "Man of my word and all that" he laughed, they were late to Tony's but it was fashionably late and when Tony saw the smiles on their faces he didn't even make a big thing about it, just grabbed Imogen, who became the centre of attention

 **Tony & Michelle's**

Everyone was already ranting over the arrival of Marcus, he was like the prodigal son, Cedes and Michelle met Nadine and all three had gone off to get acquainted, in the newly decorated nursery checking over the baby things, there was a ping of jealousy before Cedes told them about her situation and Michelle felt obligated to expand on hers, the three women sat hugging each other for a while before snapping out of it laughing

"We're going to be good friends" Cedes told the other women, nodding in agreement, before they went back down to join the others

"Who's this?" Marcus was bent down, trying again, looking at Imogen peeping from behind her Grandpa Jones' chair, when they got downstairs "What's your name sweetheart" his voice soft and inviting

"Imogen" she finally snapped back jumping on her Grandpa's lap

"Imogen, your the prettiest little girl I've ever seen" he smiled at her before turning to Sam "You guys must be so proud she's beautiful"

"We are" Sam smiled

"Dinners ready" Michelle told everyone moving them to the dining room

"So Nadine" Mary looked across the table in the middle of desert, Marcus rolling his eyes at his Mom's famous inappropriate conversation pieces "Marcus tells me you've been an item for over 11 years, how come I've never clapped eyes on you before?"

"I guess you could say we weren't exclusive" Nadine told her, looking at Marcus sat next to her

"On my part" he quickly added

"And what now, you are?" she looked at Nadine

"Now I am Mom" Marcus answered

"So Nadine's going to be family?"

"I haven't asked her yet" he looked back at Nadine smiling "But when I do I hope she says yes, I've got a bit to prove"

"A lot to prove, I want him out of the business, and ready for family life, you can't do both, I've seen that" Nadine told his family, everyone looking up at her announcement

"Out of the family?" Mary asked shocked, Marcus looking at Nadine, his look telling her it was the wrong time

"I don't want to come in lying Marc" she looked at him before turning back to his Mom "Marcus and I agreed to get back together when he came out under the premise that he leave the business, we leave the area and start a new life, I'm actually a Police Officer, which is why our lives together hasn't been plain sailing and maybe why you guys have stayed below the radar for so long" she looked at the fidgeting people around the table "I love my job and I love Marcus, I wouldn't wish any harm to him or any of his family, he knows where my loyalty lays"

"A cop?" Mary asked looking at Marcus "And you love her?"

"I love her Mom" he smiled

"I have no more to say, she's your choice, lets leave the young ones to themselves" she got up signalling to the others, she walked round and kissed them all leaving Nadine till last "Welcome to the family" she hugged her saying bringing a tear to Michelle's eye as she remembered Mom welcoming her in the same way some near five years ago

"So" Marcus banged the table smiling, when the parents left "This is a new order"

"That your not going to be involved in" Nadine reminded him

"Shit this is going to be hard" Marcus raked his hair back telling everyone "I can't stop her from talking she'll arrest me" he laughed

"Cedes is in the business anyway, she has to have a say" Sam told him "And if this is a new order..."

"And if Nadine and Cedes are in you can bet anything called money I'm in too" Michelle told them

"New order" Tony nodded

"Grab that guitar, you played years ago" Sam nodded at the guitar leaned against the wall

"I still do, but I'm a mechanic now" Marcus smiled "Curtesy of correctional education"

"We've all got careers, Sam's a baller, Mercedes sings, Michelle, designs and I do Art work for the local paper" Tony told him

"So we don't really need that part of the business anymore" Nadine announced

"God's Plan" Tony told them happy

 **"Drake's God's Plan"** Marcus raised his eyebrow telling them "That's our anthem" he started strumming the tune "Mom always said that was one of Dad's things to say"

"Cedes said her parents said that too and I know mine always have" Sam smiled

"Arrrh" Tony cooed "They had a crew motto"

"Shut up and sing" Marcus laughed, Tony didn't argue he found the beat and started

 **Tony:** Yeah, they wishing and wishing and wishing and wishing, they wishing on me  
 **Marcus:** I been moving calm, don't start no trouble with me, trying to keep it peaceful is a struggle for me, don't pull up at 6am to cuddle with me  
 **Sam:** You know how I like it when you loving on me, I don't wanna die for them to miss me, yes, I see the things that they wishing on me  
 **Tony:** Hope I got some brothers that outlive me, they gon tell the story, shit was different with me

 **All:** God's plan, God's plan, I hold back, sometimes I won't (yeah), I feel good, sometimes I don't, (Hey), don't, I finessed down Weston Road, (Hey), 'nessed, might go down a G.O.D., yeah, wait, I go hard on Southside G, (yeah, wait), I make sure that north-side eat ... and still..

"I thought Cedes was the singer?" Nadine asked as they walked in interrupting the song

"Oh she is" Sam hugged her telling them "She's going to be a star, mark my words"

"God's plan" she smiled up at him

Two weeks later Michelle and Baby Jacob were home, getting settled in, Tony was moaning about sleep and Sam and Cedes were laughing at the memory. Cedes was still sad about the baby situation but her music project was keeping her focused and Sam wasn't spending so much time away, he'd get home for some nights in between games, for her.

 **4 Weeks Later**

"Sam" Cedes tapped him, his phone waking her up "The business phone" she told him still half asleep

"What?" he shook out of his sleep asking

"The business phone's ringing"

"Shit it's 3am, I've got to be out in five hours, what the fuck's happened now?" he asked clicking the phone open to hear Martin shouting down the phone "What?" he shouted loud enough for Cedes to jump up concerned "As quick as I can" he jumped up telling Martin

"What's the matter?"

"Shit's going down, and our Dad's are there, who the fuck told them to get involved?" he hissed as he got dressed

"Wait Sam" Cedes jumped out of bed trying to get him to listen to what she was saying "Are you going down there to use a gun?"

"Cedes our Dad's are down there, I have to defend the family"

"No you don't" she grabbed his jacket off him telling him "No you fucking don't" she pulled it away as he tried to grab it off her, she stood in silence watching as he grabbed another jacket and made his way to the door "Sam" her voice trembling "I don't want you to go, I don't want this life for us, how the fuck..." her body weak as she stood realising she was asking him not to go try and save their parents life

"Can we talk when I get back?" he stood looking at her

"Yeah" she told him as he watched a tear roll down her face

"I know this is hard for you right now, and yes I know we have our own shit doing down but I love you, you know that right?" he grabbed her round the waist and pulled her to him, kissing her deep before letting her go and walking away

"I love you" was all she had time to say before he was out the door, she sat on the bed wondering how that could be after she'd just yet again hit him over the head with her shoe, she was going out of control and he was just being Sam stuck in this girlfriend for life situation with this mad woman, she cried hard

Tony had heard his phone and got up to answer it, they were tired so Michelle didn't even stir, he got dressed, kissed her forehead and left his family sleeping, he'd called Marcus on his way to let him know they'd been at threat

"I knew something was going down, Nadine hasn't come in yet and she hasn't called me" he jumped up "I'll see you guys there"

"Didn't you promise?"

"We all did" he told him closing the call

Twenty minutes later they were standing in Marcus' house shouting at the Uncles, telling them they shouldn't be getting involved in business this deep "There's nothing here is there?" Marcus looked at Martin asking

"No" he replied, he'd had instruction never to bring anything or anyone to the house

"Okay if anyone's coming here we have a snitch in the camp so think" Marcus looked around "Grab some whisky, get the cards out, lets create a guys night" he ordered as everyone went into action getting the scene set

"Why are we doing this?" Sam asked, wondering why he'd got out of bed and scared his wife half to death to go play a game of cards

"It's what Nadine told me to do if this should ever happen, that's why the house needs to be clean at all times" he replied

"So it's a police raid?" Tony asked

"No it's a turf war" Martin told everyone "We had to bad deal tonight, the cops must have caught one of our guys, he's obviously talked"

"How are you so sure about that?" Heath asked

"Because I know my crew" Martin told him "The house is hot, they know Marcus lives here, he's out and trouble starts, it's their obvious conclusion" he looked around the room "They'll come here before they do anything else, we're all clean, celebrating him being back" he threw the match sticks on the table while Marcus dealt the cards "If they don't find him here then they'll start on the houses and we need a bit of time to get them clean"

"So Marcus, you're going to get locked up again?" Tony asked looking at his brother

"No" he replied "I have an air tight alibi" he smiled at the guys around the table

"Something had better be air tight" Mary walked into the house shouting at them "I'm woken up at this god awful time of night by my screaming daughter telling me you've gone missing without a damn word, what the hell were you thinking, leaving her in that state?"

"Business" Tony told his Mom

"I'm sitting there reliving your Dad all over again, thinking I'm walking in here and I'm going to have to get shot this time because I can't outlive my babies" it was clear she was scared the way she was ranting "What's going on?"

"We're having a game Mom" Marcus got up to hug her "Sorry"

"Sorry?" Michelle asked looking at Tony "Do you know what I've been through?"

"Do you know what we've been through?" Cedes asked Sam's head popping up to get involved in the conversation hearing his wife's voice

"Cedes" he got up to get to her "You can't be here the cops are coming any minute"

"I can be where I want Sam, new order remember?" she reminded him Daniel and Heath looking on smiling and surprised

"Don't tell me your Mother's here too" Heath asked her

"We're all here" Hazel told him as they all finally walked into the house

"So" Zina walked in addressing everyone, she was the only one gutsy enough to do that "This is how it's going down, tonight, we've decided" she looked around at all the women standing around her "This ends now, this isn't who any of us want to be, Alex died, we'll never forget that or him, but it was his choice to use drugs and at the time I understood what you guys did, but we lost Tony in the cross fire and these boys have had to live without a Dad because of that move, who are we standing here willing to lose tonight?" she looked around the room

"Because I'm not willing to lose my husband or my child's father" Cedes told Sam

"None of us are, and this isn't worth it, we've got more than any of us ever thought we'd have, we're being greedy keeping this selling going and living off the other end of it too, we're never going to save everyone, we can't be part of the problem and the solution, it can't work we need to pick a side and I for one pick solution" Zina finished looking around

"So what do you suggest we walk away?" Martin asked "A lot of these guys know nothing else"

"So we give them something else, become part of the solution" Zina told him

"I don't even know how easy it is to even walk away, if that's possible I don't know, but I agree we need to" Tony told everyone

"We tell everyone that works for us there's no way out, how are we looking at a way out?" Marcus asked

"New order" Nadine walked in telling him "I brought the Pizza" she smiled walking over to him

"Do you know how much you guys are asking us all to walk away from?" Sam asked

"Do you know what it's like to live without a parent?" Ann asked him "I'm with Zina, who are we willing to give up tonight?"

"We can do this, we already have money in pots that benefit the community, we can walk away" Mary added

"You're worth billions, even splitting the money, if that's what you want you'd be set for life" Martin told them

"We'd be set for life Uncle Martin" Marcus told him

"We all work" Cedes looked around telling them "We can do this"

Heath and Daniel looked at each other smiling "God's plan" Heath told him as they both nodded

"The Ladies are right we need to walk away, I don't want to lose any more family and I'm sure we all feel the same, Martin can you wind in down carefully, we all know how difficult these things get" Marcus announced

"I agree" Sam and Tony said at the same time

"Where are the police?" Marcus asked looking at Nadine

"Right here" she smiled

"What you planned all this?"

"You guys are thanking me, right?" she looked at him frowning "I brought Pizza" she grinned looking at Heath and Daniel "Result" she smiled

"Result" Daniel smiled

"Sorry guys, we don't want this for our children or grandchildren" Heath smiled "We were in on it"

"We just needed you guys to make the decision" Daniel smiled watching as everyone's faces cracked a smile, which turned into a laugh

"Hold up" Michelle looked around the room "I really don't think its that easy, I've never really been in the business and even I know no one gets out alive, I think you guys need to put more thought into this"

"We created this monster and it's rules, we can walk away" Daniel announced seeming to put everyone's mind at ease "Martin you know how we want this to go" he looked at him nodding everyone looking on knowing the last word had just been said

"What happened to new order?" Sam asked his Dad, everyone looking at him knowing he was the only one that could actually get away with questioning him right now

"All this is part of creating that new order you talked about"

"I thought we had the say on the business" he looked around at Tony and Marcus for support

"Totally on the new business but this is shutting down the old one, we know what we had to do to get it, and you guys are not involved in that"

"I'm sorry but I've been involved in some crazy stuff, Marcus too I'm guessing, we're ready for this" Tony announced

"You're ready for nothing" Michelle looked at him, her face telling him what she didn't feel she could say right then

"You promised" Tash walked over to Marcus, Sam and Cedes looking at each other

"We alright?" she mouthed, smiling when he nodded his head, they had so much going on right now this was added pressure for him, Mercy just kept going down her hole about the baby thing, she wasn't coping with it very well at all, he'd just sit back waiting for her temper to break and dodge the flying objects, holding her when she cried and getting on with life

"Hey" his voice soft getting her attention, seeing her mind had wondered off to somewhere else, smiling again when she looked at him his hand stretched asking her to come to him "I got you" he whispered in her ear as he pulled her onto his lap _**"I just had to let you know you're... mine"**_ he sang in her ear

"That's a vibe" Marcus laughed **_"Hands on your body, I don't wanna waste no time"_** he sung making Tash laughed

 _ **"Feels like forever even if forever's tonight"**_ Tony Sang " Sam got me into the album" he told Marcus' wondering look,

Cedes, Tash and Michelle looking at each other smiling _**"Waste this night away with me, you're... mine"**_ they sang before everyone burst out laughing

Suddenly a resounding familiar sound echoed through the house as everyone froze for a second listening to the sound of shattering glass muffled by the echo of a three gun shots making them simultaneously hit the ground. Marcus hitting his face so hard on the ground as he landed he actually broke his tooth, the noise from Anne indicating she was in pain bringing noise back into the room before the silence

"Are you alright sweetheart?" Daniel started crawling across the room to get to her "Anne sweetheart?"

"Haze? Daniel shouted looking at her lifeless body "Hazel" he banged the floor trying to get her attention

"Mom" Sam and Cedes shouted at the same time, everyone wanting to get up to see what was wrong but aware of the shooters outside


	6. Chapter 6

**California**

"Kit up" Dan stood up, his mind telling him his wife was dead and there was absolutely nothing else left for him to live for, he grabbed his handgun and stood up, because today someone was going to pay

"Let's do this" Heath got up following him towards the door

"Dad" Sam looked at him, his thought vacant, he couldn't believe his Mom was laying there Dead, Cedes couldn't say anything she felt like she was in a very bad dream, all she knew was that Sam had hold of her real tight just now, so much so she couldn't move

Another spray for shots flew through the window and they heard the door glass shattering too, and people fall to the floor, they were under siege, the smell and dust of gun powder in the air telling them whoever was outside meant business "Who's fucking idea was it to get out of this damn business?" Marcus asked as they took cover

"Dad?" Cedes called seeing him laying on the floor near her Mom when the shots ceased "Daddy" she screamed "Tell me this isn't happening?" she looked at Sam begging him when she realised all her struggling wasn't getting her free from him

"Calm down" he covered her mouth telling her "Cedes calm down"

"Who the fuck knows about this place?" Marcus asked coughing at the dust

"Clancy" Tony told him

"Sargent" Martin told him

"Just those guys, and you trust them?" Marcus asked

"I know those guys, are you thinking it's one of them?" Sam asked looking at Tony

"I Trus..." Martin getting out before a voice shouted from outside

"Come out" the familiar voice called

"That's Clancy" Tony gasped "I trusted that bastard" he sat up telling everyone he was ready for this fucking man who had broken his trust

"He knows me, I guess it's my turn to take one for the family again" Marcus crawled towards the door telling them

"Joke right?" Nadine grabbed his top asking him

"Of course it's a fucking joke" Michelle' head popped from behind the old couch telling Tony "He hasn't even cleared that with me"

"Guys do you know there are fucking killers out there, we need to stop this fighting against each other" Sam spat angry

"Listen they only expect to find me here, I'll go out, trust me" Martin announced

"Now you've gone even madder than the damn kids" Zina pulled him back down to the floor

"Look somebody needs to do something our parents are laying on the fucking floor dead over there, I guess it's up to us" Sam said looking at Marcus and Tony "We took on this responsibility"

"We can't get out the back they got that covered" Nadine crawled back in telling them "We're going to have to fight this out"

"I'm ready for that" Sam told her

"You do realise the only way out of this for us is dead" Tony finally sat up telling them

"I vote we die trying" Marcus told him

"Martin come out and I promise this will be quick" Clancy shouted as they sat having their conversation

"The police will be here soon lets just wait it out" Nadine suggested

"Really" Mary laughed "You think anyone's interested in the local drug dealer getting shut down?"

"Probably by their guys" Zina laughed looking at Nadine "You sure you're not a part of this?"

"Aunt Zina" Marcus hissed "I told you she's for us"

"She might be but is her family?"

"My family don't know anything except I go out with Marcus"

Everyone hitting the floor again as more shots flew through the house the smell of gunpowder getting strong again "We can't sit here just waiting" Sam got frustrated telling them

"Why are you dong this Clancy?" Martin shouted

"Because I can, your days of doing business in this town are over, time for some young blood"

"So what happens when, I mean if, I come out?"

"You die Boss, this has to happen, it's the natural order of things, I need to move ... up should we say" he laughed

"And you need to be retired" Sargent's voice came into the mix shocking him

"You're in this too Sargent?" he held his head in his hands all this time he'd thought he had faithful men around him and all the time they were plotting against him

"You're losing it Martin and believe me, we got this"

"Fuck this talking shit" Sam spat "Get in the back room" he hissed at Cedes letting her go and watching her crawl through to the back room "Not protocol guys I know, and I promise you can kick me for it later" he looked around the room "Ladies in the back room please" he looked around the room at them waiting for their partners to make that okay

"Go" Tony told Michelle

"Go" Marcus and Martin told their women, Marcus nodding for his Mom to take that order too

"So what next?" Tony asked

"There's more of them out there than of us in here, maybe the whole unit, and between us we all know that we have not a chance in hell of getting out of here with our best gunmen on the other side of that damn door" Sam looked around the room "My parents are laying over there dead for all I know and all I've got left is us, I know what promises we stood in this room and made to those women out back tonight, but we need to protect them now and for me that trumps any promise"

"We just need to keep as many of us alive as we can" Marcus told them looking around the small circle of guys he called family

"For the family" Martin held his fist in the middle of them saying

"I left my tiny new baby at home, this is a recurring prophecy" Tony sighed

"Hey" Sam called him "No time for doubt, we left babies at home, and out hearts are in that back room" he told him

"Kit up?" Martin asked as everyone put their fists in the circle before he moved off to open the cupboard "We might not have the skill, but we sure as hell have the fucking gun power" he told them opening up the hidden arsenal "Thanks to Tony Senior" he took some smaller guns round to the women and went back to where they expected the action to be

"Okay, if you're going to be a bitch about it, we'll count to five and then we're coming in" Sargent shouted

"Get ready, they'll hit before five" Martin told everyone, Sam took a second to look at their parents laying in the corner, everything seemed like it was happening over hours, when in reality, there was so much adrenalin it was a few seconds, everyone found somewhere for cover and waited, looking at all the exits ready for the raid

"Sam cock it" Tony shouted across to him, smiling at his one and only lesson with a gun that he'd never used, nodding as Sam did as told

Suddenly the door burst open and there was just sparks and smoke all over the place, they got the first maybe five bodies that came in and then it was flooded they were moving them back fast, seconds of gun spray and they were in the same room as the women, looking back at them scared but not giving up, the women posed with their guns in hand most had never even felt a gun before let alone fired on, a ten second lesson from Nadine having to suffice

The first shot to enter the room landed in the cabinet just behind Zina's head they all lay lower scared as the noise got closer, peeping as they anxiously waited for the battle to slow down "Arr" Cedes heard Sam's voice and looked out to see what was happening it was difficult to make it all out with all the activity but she finally focused on him on the floor holding his leg

"Sam" she stood up amid all the shots looking at him laying on the floor as a shadow came into the room standing almost over him "No" she shouted scared for what was going to happen next, she didn't even know what was happening or when it happened all she knew was there were gun shots and two men were laying on the floor and women were screaming

"Cedes" she heard Sam's voice calling her "Cedes" he screamed at the top of his voice, making her lift her head to look at him "It's okay, I got you, come here"

It took a while for her to realise the shots had stopped as everyone sat about crying or stunned at the events, her feet suddenly felt light as she stepped off and grabbed hold of Sam never wanting to let go "Sam" she squeezed so tight he could hardly breathe _**"Words can never say what I feel, cause it's too intense"**_ she hummed trembling on his chest, they were both scared

 _ **"I wanna be your man"**_ he hummed back amid pain

"I love you Sam" she lay her head on his chest

"I know you do babe, but you can't put your life on the line like that for me, I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to you"

"So you know how I feel?" she looked up at him all he could do was kiss her, she'd saved his life, again, his wince in pain reminding her of his injury "You need a hospital"

"I think most of us need a hospital" he looked around telling her, wondering what Zina was doing on her phone "What's up Aunt Zina?" he asked curious

"We have a situation, I'm sorting it"

"You're sorting it?" Martin asked looking at his wife

"New order" she smiled one of her false smiles at him before tending to her call "You young ones need to get out of here, we'll call a meet and fill you in once this is sorted"

"I'm not leaving our parents in that room like that, a coroner needs to come sort them out they're worth more than that" Mercy told her Aunt

"Everyone's in shock right now I just need you all to just listen to instruction this once, trust me and go home" Zina told them, they looked around before getting up and doing as she'd asked

"Sam needs a hospital" Cedes announced, Martin going over to see what was up

"It's a flesh wound take him back home and get it treated in a hospital over there"

"Marcus has a graze, I'll deal with him" Nadine told everyone as they walked out the back "Shit" she hissed looking at the slashed tyres "Plan B" she turned to tell the others grabbing her phone and calling a favour

 **Martin & Zina **

"Can you get someone here in the next half an hour" Zina came back into the room still having the conversation on her phone

"We can" the voice said over the phone speaker

"Marco, thanks" she closed the call down telling him

"Who was that?" Martin asked

"Some old friends of mine that owe me a favour I just called in"

"We need to get out of here"

"I'm going nowhere, this is my life I know nothing else, I lost both my brothers to this shit, those bastards are going to get what's coming to them or I'm going to die trying, and please don't try guilt tripping me"

"I have no intention of tripping you, I lost my only brother to it too remember" he smiled "Marco?" he looked at her suspiciously "Is that one of those Jackson Brothers from up in Atlanta?"

"Yeah, they, well Marco specifically and I have history, he's a good friend, saved my life once and then I got him out of a situation and I guess you could say he owes me"

"Is he an ex?"

"No" she run her hand down his chest smiling at his jealous

"It stinks in here I need to get out" he went towards the back door to sit on the step

Less than half and hour later a group of guys were on the scene, curtains were twitching all down the neighbourhood but still no sign of any police, bodies were being removed at an alarming pace and then one of the guys appeared at the back steps "Two of these are alive" a Tall guy told Martin and Zina

"Alive" Martin grabbed his gun to go finish the job, Zina following closely

"Shit" Zina ran towards then "Thank God" she gasped

 **Marcus & Nadine's Home **

They got home, Nadine helped Marcus to the couch before taking his fretting Mom up to her bedroom "Grab a bath, I'll be back in a while to check on you" she told her smiling when Mary pulled her to her

"Thank you" she cried into her shoulder "I had everything come back about my Tony tonight, I was living that nightmare all over again, but this time with even more to lose" she sobbed "I don't know what I'd do if I lost my boys"

"They're made of strong stuff, they're going nowhere" Nadine held her saying, rocking her as she spoke

"And neither are you, you saved my life"

"I had an ulterior motive" she laughed "I would have lost Marcus tonight if anything had happened to you and I couldn't risk that"

"You love him don't you?"

"Yes" she smiled "And because of that I love you like my own mother" she kissed her forehead "Now get in that bath and I'll see you in a bit" she left her to go tend to her man

"Hey" she smiled when she walked into the room "Lets see what's happening with you" she sat beside him taking the t-shirt he had held against his stomach away to investigate "It really is just a graze" she got up to fetch some first aid items "I'm more worried about that tooth of yours" she laughed walking back towards him "There'll be no comeback from this will there, I mean you promised me you were out of all this" she tended to his wound asking

"My Aunts and Uncles are still in that Damn house, maybe dead I don't even know yet you can't ask me to not react to this"

"I can and I am" she finally looked up at him "Mom's safe, Tony's alright whatever it is isn't your fight"

"Really?" he stood up asking her, not sure he was liking this version of Nadine he was looking at "Granted there's no blood attaching us to each other, but whatever it is it goes deeper than blood, they didn't have to cut us into anything, my Dad gave his life for my Mom who they've treated like a sister, I've had the life I wanted because I had no worries about what was going to happen to me, my Mom or my Brother and that's been down to those four people"

"I'm not asking you to forget them"

"Don't ask me anything, I'd die for them, I'd die for you, no question"

"Okay" she got up and went to him "I guess it's the scared in me talking, I'm sorry, I know how you feel, I'd die for you" she kissed his cheek "Come on let me finish patching you up" they moved to the couch as the phone rang

"It's Aunt Zina, she must have news" he said sitting down to take the call

 **Tony & Michelle's Home **

"How the fuck did tonight happen?" Tony walked into the house hissing, he'd been cursing Sargent and Clancy all the way home "Go get Jacob" he ordered the Nanny "I just need to have my family around me" he grabbed Michelle's arm and pulled her with him "Are you alright?" his voice changed back to soft and attentive

"You're fine, I'm alright" she smiled at him before resting her head on his chest

"Here he is" he smiled as the Nanny walked in with Jacob in her arms holding his arms out for his baby boy "Thank you" he looked up at her saying, watching as Michelle stroked their son's cheek

"He's perfect isn't he?" she asked

"Just like his Mommy" he pecked her lips telling her

"And his Daddy, we're the perfect family" she rested her head on his shoulder looking down at Jacob, they sat in silence reflecting on the evening

"You know I'm going to have to break a promise?" he asked breaking the long silence

"Is there any point in me begging you not to?" she looked at him asking

"It's about honour, Clancy and Sargent can't be allowed to get away with this"

"I can't say I don't agree with that, I can't imagine what Sam and Cedes are going through right now, but I do have my own family to think about"

"They are our own family"

"Tony" she sighed "I've never, I mean never had anyone to really call my own, not until Sam and Cedes came into my life and I was happy then, I mean truly happy, they're the most real people you'd ever want to meet"

"But?" he rolled his eyes

"But then I met you, we clicked, got married and now I actually have a family of my own, can you really blame me for wanting to keep this safe, the one thing I've craved all my life is here, now, in this room and your asking me if it's alright to put that at risk, no, no it isn't"

"I have just as much to lose babe, and I totally get where you are"

"But" she rolled her eyes at him

"I didn't know him, they tell me I was the last thing he saw before he passed, I don't remember anything about him but right now I can hear his voice telling me to honour them, all of them"

"I'm going to sound selfish, and maybe I am being but their not your parents, your Mom's fine, Marcus is fine, we'll be here for Sam and Cedes, we'll be here" she sat looking into his eyes

"But who's going to be there for my Aunts and Uncles, if not us?"

"Tony" she sighed laying back on his chest, wondering if she really wanted to talk him out of helping who she considered her siblings

"Shit" he sat looking at his phone "It's Aunt Zina" he flipped the phone open to take her call

 **Sam & Cedes **

They sat in the cab in silence, none of them wanting to start the conversation of questions, there was no room in their emotions for speculation, they'd left their parents in a heap on the floor in the front lounge of Mary's house. As hard as it was they'd walked away and left that mess for someone else to clean up, all they could do now was wait for the call confirming their parents were gone

"I should have treated her better" Cedes told him breaking the silence

"You treated her good enough"

"Do you think she knew that I'd forgiven her for Atlanta?"

"She knew"

"Do you think they all knew we loved them?"

"Undoubtedly"

"No football for a while babe" she looked down at the material wrapped around his calf stopping the blood it was bleeding faster than it needed to, they finally got to their local hospital to find his situation was a bit more urgent then they'd initially thought, explaining it as a drive by. Cedes spent a few hours worrying about tendon damage that might completely stop his game as he lay oblivious to that fact having investigatory surgery

"He'll need about six weeks for this to totally heal but it shouldn't hinder his game" the Surgeon finally told her as he lay in the recovery room

"Okay" she smiled "You can tell him everything when he wakes up"

"Will you need to be there?"

"Yes" she told him watching him walk away, Sam came round shortly after and she stood by his bed while the Surgeon told him what had happened ending with the good news that he'd be back in action in six weeks time "Can he come home?"

"Crutches pending of course" the Surgeon smiled leaving them to it "I prescribed something for the pain" she stopped at the door telling them

Sam was weak, pale and drowsy but he found the strength to smile at his wife **_'Hey lady, let me tell you why, I can't live my life without you, ooh, baby'_** he hummed as he looked into her eyes

"We've lost too much, this stops now Sam, promise me, this stops" she held his eyes begging him, she watched as tears came to his eyes, he closed them unable to watch her heart break, and right then she knew he wasn't willing to promise her that

"The crutches" a Nurse walked in announcing "And the medication the doctor prescribed" she handed the bag to Cedes "Let me know when you guys are ready and I'll walk you out" she walked around the room as she spoke swiftly leaving after she'd finished talking

"Let's go home" Cedes told him helping him up off the bed and onto the crutches, calling the nurse as they got to the door and less than an hour later they were at home

 **Sam & Cedes' Home **

"You know" Sam looked up at Cedes as she helped him onto their bed "After Bonnie and Clyde ended a battle they'd have wide crazy sex" he laughed

"Your injured" she smiled at him for not judging how she was feeling right now

"I assure you everything I need for wide crazy sex is in tact, granted you'll have to do most the work, but that's never stopped you before" his face telling her he needed the contact even more than she did

"Sam Evans" she smirked at him, leaning forward to undo his trousers and easing him out of them, he took his top off himself, watched her put the music on before they went all in _ **"So just lay with me, lay with me, late 'til morning, cause I'm high and you're high, together we're..."**_ she sang in his ear

 _ **"...Soarin"**_ **'Soarin' by Bazzi** he joined in with her, his eyes rolling for the feeling, this was going to be quick blood was rushing all over his body

His phone ringing waking him out of his nap "Sup?" he asked hearing Zina's voice on the other end, telling him everyone was coming to his house in twenty minutes "Cedes" he kissed her naked butt "Visitors"

"Shit now?"

"Aunt Zina, must be news" he told her watching her head jump off the pillow

"Why didn't you say" she rushed to the bathroom to sort herself out before coming back to get him and help him get ready both in sweats "Thanks for understanding, that got rid of some tension" she nodded at the bed

"For real" he laughed "We got this" he grabbed her hand for them to make their way downstairs

"Hi" Sam hobbled into the main room to see everyone sitting there "What's...up?" he checked Cedes asking, knowing they'd come to confirm their parents were gone

"I guess like me you need the bad news first" Zina walked up to them her face showing clearly she'd been crying for a while "D and H are gone" she grabbed hold of their two children and more tears came as all three stood crying for actually hearing the words they already knew were true

"Someone has to pay" Sam finally pulled away from them, venom in his voice "I'll go after their families, I'll kill every last fucking one of them, every last one"

"And I'm with you on that" Zina told him "But first we have to get well and get the family safe, they might strike again"

"And we'll be ready for them" Martin told him

"Sam" Cedes looked at him about to say something else but knew right now, they'd be no talking, she had to pick her battles, he grabbed hold of her pulling her to him

"So I guess we get the family safe" Zina smiled at the boy who'd suddenly become his Dad "What do you suggest?"

"We obviously have a community that only sees the bad in what we're trying to do, we've become the enemy, we need to break all ties" Mary piped up

"How?" Michelle asked

"Sell everything, everything" Martin told them

"Sell?" Marcus asked unsure what they wanted of them

"Everything, it's like taking the toys away from a badly behaved child, rip out all our good and bad work, let them have what they want"

"I see the logic" Nadine smiled "But what about safety?"

"We buy one big house, big enough for all of us, guards, alarms, dogs everything highest security money can buy, then when we're satisfies the family's safe we go after them" Zina told everyone

"Them?" Sam asked

"Yeah Sargent's not been found, Clancy's dead"

"Serves the bastard right" Tony smiled

"Thank Cedes for that, he was going to take out Sam and she just got up, opened fire and blasted all three of those bastards coming in" Nadine raised her hands doing a machine gun motion as she spoke

"I killed a man?" she looked at Sam shocked

"Three damn men" Nadine told her "Don't sweat it, they were thugs" she smiled, her smile leaving her face at the look on Sam's face, she knew she was being insensitive "Sorry it's just that I deal with this kind of thing every day at work, I guess you grow a thick skin" Cedes turned and ran off up the stairs

"Excuse me" Sam spat going off after her "Cedes" he sat on the bed when he finally got upstairs, watching her crying into the pillow wrapped in her arms "You did what you needed to do, we all did"

"I'll be alright I just need some time I'm just thinking, I got revenge for our parents, but it doesn't feel good" she looked at him saying "I can't cry for our parents something inside me wont let me, do you think somethings wrong with me?"

"No I can't either, I'm too angry"

"But it's done I got revenge" she sat up looking at him "I did that for us, it's over"

"Cedes it's not over, our Dad's are dead, our Mom's are... I didn't even ask" he looked back at the bedroom door "I need to go..."

"Wait" she told him jumping up to follow him "Change your top" she stepped out of her joggers telling him as she wiped her eyes and walked towards the dressing room, throwing a white t-shirt out to him before coming out in jeans and a yellow vest top and a pair of jeans for him in her hand "I guess we need to step up" she seemed to just go into overdrive as Sam stood watching her, worried for the sudden switch

"We need to get to the hospital" Sam announced when they finally got back downstairs "We need to see Mom"

"It's not safe" Martin told them

"Who gives a fuck what it is, we need to see them" Sam told him turning to leave the house

"You can't go alone" Tony told him getting up to follow

"It's fine" Sam hissed his tone telling them to leave him alone

 **Hospital**

Less than an hour later they were at the hospital waiting to see Ann and Hazel "Guys" Cedes read the message Zina sent "They don't know about D and H" she read out just as Sam touched the door, they looked at each other rolling their eyes

He set his face ready for the man stuff he was going to have to do once he'd walked through the door, he was a man he'd thought that for a long while now but he was the man now, head of his house, only male Evans left, then suddenly he was crying harder than Cedes as they hugged their Mom's "Dad" Cedes looked at the two women eagerly awaiting news "Dad's gone, he got hit in the cross fire"

"Which one?" Ann asked looking between the two children

"Both" Sam told her, the screams and bawling leaving lasting scars as their Mother's mourned the loss of their hearts, all four crying hurt, lost, afraid of what life meant after this and angry

"What's the plan" Ann asked Sam

"Plan?" Cedes asked shocked at her reaction

"What's going to happen to those bastards, I want revenge and lots of it" Hazel told them

"Mom are you asking my husband to put his life at risk, for Imogen to grow up without a father?"

"I'm asking for revenge" she snapped at her "My Heath's life can't go unaccounted for"

"And Sam's can?"

"I'm sorry Mercedes that's just the law according to TDH, we all live by it" Ann told her

"He's your son" she screamed at them before rushing out of the room

"She'll come round" Sam rolled his eyes telling his Mom's before going off to find her "Cedes" he caught her in the car lot banging her hands against the car "Cedes" she turned to look at him beg already in her eyes

"Just tell me you're not going to do it"

"I... It's our Dad's" his breath pushed itself out of his body "It's business, you understand business" he felt like he was being physically pulled both ways, ready to rip into two "Fuck Cedes" he hissed angry "You put all this fucking pressure on me, I need to do this one thing and your stressing me out about it, why can't you be more like..."

"Like?" she stood asking him ready for the blow out

"Come on" he pulled her round to the passenger side, opened the door and almost threw her in, they drove home in silence

 **Sam & Cedes**

"Just go upstairs, see to Imogen or something" he ordered, she really didn't know what to think of his behaviour, maybe he'd finally flipped she looked at him for a few seconds seeing he was ready to turn on her again, she quickly turned and went upstairs

"Everything alright?" Tony asked as he walked into the living room

"Just don't say anything" he walked straight through out onto the patio as everyone watched, he walked about talking to himself for a while, everyone still watching, making small talk as he entered the room and walked straight through it and upstairs "Cedes" he rushed into their room looking around for her "Cedes" he went to the bathroom to find it empty, making his way to Imogen's room he saw her watching their daughter sleep, crying in the rocking chair "Can we talk?" he whispered she looked across at him, got up and left Imogen's room for theirs

He stood watching her walking around the room for a while, bringing back his memories of when he'd told her to get rid of Imogen all those years back "We've been here before" he sat on the bed smiling to himself

"And if I remember rightly I won" she smiled back at him

"I remember, but that just means it's my turn to win"

"You're not going to win Sam"

"I guess we both need time out, let's stop this and get back to us, we have parents in hospital, gone, I've been shot this isn't the time to do this"

"It's never going to be the time to kill someone"

"Come here" he held his hand up for her to grab, she was already crying "We have funerals to plan and Mom's to take care of, a baby to love and ... my leg needs healing, lets get all that out the way before we have this conversation again, I need to be close to you right now" he wrapped her in his arms telling her

"This always makes me feel good" she rested her head on his shoulder "I don't mean to stress you out Sam, I've just got so much going on, nothing seems to be lifting, it just keeps piling itself on me and sometimes I feel like... I'm just so angry all the while"

"And I didn't mean to shout at you like that, I guess my backs against it, I shouldn't disrespect you like that, I'm sorry"

"Hey" she smiled up at him **_"I apologize if I say, anything I do mean, cause I've been drinking too much, faded off the gasoline, _ **I'm just trying to live life, put on for my family, that's on everything, girl we can do anything, cause baby, we are"**__ **Soarin by Bazzi**** "Got my Bazzi feels on" she smiled at him

"I'm always loving your Bazzi feels" he squeezed her tighter, it had been a long day they eventually fell asleep

The next day they woke up to a busy house, Zina had started the ball rolling and it didn't seem like anyone else was up to taking charge, she had an estate agent sitting in the kitchen watching them all eat breakfast looking at pictures of a potential family home "We need a decision today, I need everyone safe"

"We're safe" Marcus told her

"Why because Nadine can call her cop friends any time she wants?" Zina hissed at him "Let's cut the bull shit, this is real, just like we learned Sargent's still around they'll be hearing how many of us are still alive, there might be a second attempt, we need to be ready"

"Are we in agreement to sell the businesses?" Mary asked

"Totally" Marcus spoke for everyone

"Sorry we need to get to the hospital" Sam announced grabbing Cedes hand as he got up, both kissing Imogen and then they were off "We need to see what they want to do for the funeral" he announced as they left

Mary and Zina looked at each other clearly, Sam didn't understand how this went

 **The Hospital**

"Mom" Cedes ran across the room to her "I'm sorry about yesterday I guess I was in shock"

"We were all in shock" Hazel hugged her saying, she stayed there for a while knowing her Mom needed that extra time, she did too their Jones man was gone, she looked over to see Sam crying on Ann's chest, a ping of guilt running through her, she should have been there for him

"Right" he suddenly pulled away from his Mom walking towards Hazel, Cedes quickly went to Ann to get her hug "The funeral"

"What about it?" Ann asked

"Planning, we thought we'd deal with that first" Sam replied

"Don't worry yourself with that Zina and Mary know what to do" Ann told him

"But it's Dad's..."

"They'll deal with it trust me" Hazel assured him, he wanted to say more but the look on Cedes face told him to leave it so he did, two days later their Mom's came out of hospital to total pampering from Mary and Zina, Sam understood what his Mom was saying his Aunts had this

 **The Funeral**

The day came fast, the Aunt's were working on gas, the service was intimate, just family and a few friends, Cedes was shocked to see the guys from the phone shop in Atlanta sitting in the crematorium, she nudged Sam to tell him all about them, as they walked behind their fathers coffins to **'Love You For Life' by Jodeci** apparently some song their parents had met on, they'd cried so much already this was just a formality they needed to go through

Half way through the service Cedes knew she'd done the wrong thing, when she spotted Sam looking at the guests from Atlanta like he wanted to fight "They must be friends, Aunt Zina's people, that's why they'd have looked after me" she told him trying to get him to focus on the funeral

"It's not working" he put his arm round her waist his thumb rubbing her ribs as the service went on, a familiar sign of irritation on him

As strong as they'd tried to be all through the service when the furnace fired up and the coffins started rolling towards the heat they broke and cried so hard their throats hurt, the whole congregation of around 14 people they knew and maybe 10 others from other families, crying

"Who is that?" Sam's head jumped up interested to know who the man was that was holding his Mother at his Father's funeral

"I don't know" Cedes told him looking at the man move from Anne to Hazel then Zina and finally Mary

"He looks lik..." he lingered off not wanting to say what his eyes were telling him or his mind was thinking

"Like?" Cedes looked up at him asking

"Doesn't matter" he told her his attention back on the coffin's going through the curtained area

"Sam" the man came over offering his hand "Sorry for your loss"

"Thank you" Sam shook his hand and watched him say the same to Cedes as he passed him by, still looking at him, he was so familiar, they let doves off, said a prayer and then they went home with the ashes, to some sandwiches and conversation.

By evening the conversation had another focus, the funeral was over and it was time to start thinking about getting the family safe

"Papers will be signed on Thursday" Zina told everyone

"When are we expected to move?" Tony asked

"In a weeks time, I need to get some stuff in place, get the system put in and then we'll be good to go" Zina replied

"What about the business where are we on those?" Marcus asked

"We've more or less let them off, we have three on East side proving a bit difficult, but we expected that Sargent was working over there" Martin told them

"Give them away if you have to, we need to have broken all ties by the time we move" Sam told him, Cedes, Michelle and Nadine passing looks as their husbands spoke

"Ben's over there dealing with it?" Mary told him

"Ben?" Sam asked everyone looking on for this new name in the mix "Where's Ben coming from?"

"Who is Ben?" Tony asked

"And why's he dealing with our business?" Marcus asked his Mom, Mary looked at Anne, it was her story to tell no one else's

"Mom?" Sam looked at his Mom searching for an answer "It was that man in church wasn't it?"

"Yes" she looked at him telling him "It was your Dad he didn't want you to know about him"

"About who, Ben?"

"Yeah Uncle Ben, he's you're Dad's half brother, your Grandpa left your Grandma for his Mother"

"Dad had a brother?" he rolled his eyes and pulled his hair back off his face "I knew he was familiar"

"Half brother" his Mom corrected him "They knew about each other, respected each other even, but he wouldn't betray his Mother by being friends with the man, a broken heart killed his Mother and Ben's Mother caused it he'd never forgiven his Dad, they met at their Dad's funeral, kept in touch, that was it"

"That's why he drummed it into me about a girlfriend being for life, striving to be faithful and all that stuff" Sam held his head in his hands "Why didn't he ever tell me?"

"He was your Dad, he tried to be the best he could for you, he wanted a better, different life for you" Ann told him

"He was an angry man inside for a long while, then your Mom came along and then you, and he finally got what he'd always dreamed of, what Heath and he always talked about" Hazel added grabbing Ann's hand as support for the hard conversation she was having "He didn't want to spoil that dream with his reality"

"I guessed that about him, being angry I mean, sometimes he'd apologise for shouting at me, even when I deserved it" Sam chuckled "I wondered what that was about" he looked at his Mother saying "But he still should have told me"

"It wasn't for the lack of trying" his Mom replied as they shared a look

"So how's this Ben going to help?" Sam asked looking around the room for an answer

"He has connections" Martin told him, they all seemed happy leaving it like that, except Sam who sat thinking

"Never mind his connections, we have a plan" Marcus looked at Sam and Tony, while the women and Martin sat watching them leave the room ready for business

"Sam" Cedes called after him getting up to follow him out the door "Sam" she called after him, when it seemed like he had no intentions of stopping "Can I have a quick word?" she caught up with him asking

"If you're going to ask me not to take revenge for Dad it's not happening" he spun round telling her Marcus and Tony stood listening, she couldn't believe he'd spoken to her like that in front of them

"Okay" she held her hands up at him staring at him for a second, before he turned and left with Tony and Marcus

 **The Next Day**

The meeting had gone on until the early morning, well the tail end of it was griping about their personal lives, the ladies weren't happy with their decision to take things in their own hands. It really wasn't something they wanted to do either but family had been killed and surely they understood that wasn't in any way acceptable, they talked about not backing out, what they'd feel like if they did nothing and even about keeping hold of that part of the business, all while throwing down glasses of whiskey. It was 6am when Sam finally stirred and checked his phone for the time, he jumped up to make his way home, he'd never been in town and not slept in their bed before he felt like a naughty schoolboy

"Cedes" he walked into the bedroom whispering, wanting to work out if he could get some sleep or get ready for another fight "Cedes" he looked at the empty bed surprised, checking the bathroom before going to Imogen's room gasping when that was empty too "Where the fuck is she" he walked around the house looking for her, finally retuning to their bedroom to check if she'd actually left the house. After twenty minutes of talking to himself and searching their belongings he realised she'd gone "What the fuck" he rolled his eyes as he landed on the bed "Doesn't she realise how fucking dangerous it is for us out there?" he grabbed his phone out of his pocket to call her "Cedes" he shouted when the ringing stopped "Where are you?"

"Really?" she asked sarcastically

"Stop fucking around Cedes, where are you?"

"You're not even interested in what I have to say, so why the concern?"

"You're so childish I could slap you right now for putting yourself at risk like this, where are you?"

"What now you want to listen to me?"

"Cedes you're getting on my last fucking nerve" he told her sitting in silence as she figured out if he was joking or not

"I'm across the road at Michelle's, but I'm not coming back, not while you've got it in your mind to kill"

"I'm coming over" he told her putting the phone down before she could say anything else "What the hell is wrong with this woman?" he sat asking himself "She turns me on quicker than she gets me mad and I feel the damn same which ever way" he got up and shoved his phone in his pocket before he made for the door

 **Uncle Ben**

Ben was 12 years younger than Daniel, and although he'd always known the skin of why his parents split up, Daniel had never shared the fact that Ben existed with anyone in the world except Tony and Heath and later on Ann, he was angry about it. For a long while he'd blamed Ben, watching his Mom die of a broken heart hadn't been easy, he had every intention of breaking Ben's legs when he was called up to attend the funeral of his absent Father, and truth be told he was jealous of Ben getting all his Dad's attention. But he got to the church; Heath and Tony standing either side of him keeping the peace, and looked across at Ben, who looked like a broken man.

They'd ended up sitting all evening talking about their Father, he'd learned how cruel he was, the words he called Ben, him and their Mothers, he left Ben's Mother too when he was just 7 years old, they may as well have been talking about the same woman when they talked about their last days with their Mother's, still asking after that damn man, finally concluding that their Father wasn't the man either of them had conjured up in their heads.

Ben had problems, he didn't think like everyone else, he was what society would have termed a gangster, he killed people for pedal bikes, raped women because he envied the men they were with and dealt in arms and drugs. Daniel had sat listening to him talking about his struggle which seemed to afford him a decent life and now both Ben's parents were gone he was hesitant to form any ties with anyone, he said he needed to be ruthless, and he was ready to die at any time. Daniel had come back from his weekend in Texas a new man, he'd plugged the idea of dealing drugs to Tony and Heath and eventually, with Ben's help, they'd taken over Central and moved outwards over the years.

Now Ben was back, cleaning up for his brother, if anyone's life was going to be taken because of this it was his, but one thing was sure, he knew everything about what was going on for his brother, he was a King Pin and of all his teams, his most precious team, worth more than any money, was his brother now dead, his ear was to the ground, Sargent and his crew were already dead.

Ben got outside the place his man had told him Sargent was staying, he'd got other teams wiping out Sargent's army of men that had felt fit to kill his brother and try to wipe out his entire California connection, this was firstly about kin, but there was also a matter of money and for that he didn't joke "kill everyone but leave Sargent to me" he instructed his men as they moved in.

Ben was like the invincible man as he walked though the storm of gunshots, a gun so much as even floating past his direction was stopped, nothing was getting in the way of what he'd come for "I have no argument with you" Sargent knelt looking at this face he didn't recognise

"But I have one with you" Ben replied watching as Sargent looked around obviously looking for his men "There are no more men, all your houses have been wiped out" he smiled the wickedest smile

"Why what is it you think I've done?"

"You killed my bothers"

"Your brothers?" Sargent asked still puzzled "I don't know your brothers"

"You didn't even know them" Ben lifted his gun and shot the girl in the head, Sargent gasping as she fell out of his arms, blood splattering over his face "Stand him up" he instructed the three men standing with him "You destroyed my family" he walked towards him

"You have the wrong man, I don't know your family"

"And I don't know you" Ben told him shooting his knees out and watching him fall to the floor screaming "I control California, you attack my family you attack me"

"What Martin?" Sargent just about got out before Ben shot him in the throat, he stood watching him choke before bending to speak to him

"My brother was Daniel Michael Evans, his brother was Heath Jones and you'll meet them in hell, they're waiting to kill you again" he whispered, wiping blood off his cheek as Sargent spat out trying to get breath and then there was silence, Ben waited until there was certainty before he stood up and walked away taking his phone out as he left

"Ben" Ann gasped answering the phone

"It's done" he told her "I'll set up another crew, they'll report directly to me but everything will go to you and Sam"

"What about the others?"

"That's your business, I'll call in before I go"

"Thank you Ben" she smiled down the phone, before closing the call, it was finished

 **Sam & Cedes **

Sam arrived at Tony's in seconds, he used his key to get in and regulated the alarm system before going up to find the spare room Cedes was in, finding her behind the third door "Cedes" he whispered seeing Imogen in the bed, she turned and cut her eye at him "We need to talk" he ignored her look and carried on talking

"She's asleep"

"So we need to leave the room" he told her, she turned to look at him for a while before getting up to follow him out

"What do you want?" she stood outside the room asking, arms folding in front of her chest

"Really" he raked his hand through his hair, his lips thinned "You still get me so damn mad sometimes I could slap you"

"We're not children anymore Sam" she walked away from him huffing

He hobbled after her, sitting down to get down the stairs quickly "I know we're not children Cedes" he hobbled after her pain in his leg with every step he was putting pressure on it well before the doctor had advised "Cedes my fucking leg is killing me, will you just stop"

"What?" she looked round at him stood without his crutch "Where's the crutch?"

"I needed to move fast"

"Not only are you hell bent on dying, you're suddenly not all about ball either" she went back up the stairs to get his crutch

"Cedes" he took it off her his eyes begging her to see things from his point of view

"Sam" she stared at him saying, her eyes telling him she wasn't moving on this "I told you already this is not what I want, you have the power to make anything happen but you just keep pushing me away with your shit"

"This is the world we're in Cedes"

"No Sam this is the world you're hell bent on us being in, I told you I don't want it"

"There's nothing more I'd like than to walk away from this shit and just have my family, me playing ball you singing, but you had a 16th birthday present and this is where it led us"

"What so it's my fault now?"

"No I didn't mean it like that" he rolled his eyes

"Well here's something I do mean, you choose, today which family's more important to you us or them, because I'm ready to walk on this Sam, I mean it" she walked off telling him "And don't bother to come up, I'm in with Imogen" he thought about it for a second before following her up the stairs, sitting in the chair opposite the bed where his family slept, he fell asleep thinking on what she'd said, wishing it could have been between a rock and a hard place, but as soon as she said it he knew what his choice was

"Morning" he smiled three hours later when Imogen woke him up jumping on him

"Sweetheart" he picked the nearing 6 year old up "I love your Mom and I love you" he kissed her cheek telling her

"We love your too Daddy" she looked up at him concern in her eyes "Mommy was crying again yesterday" she told him

"That makes me sad" he told his daughter "Will you go find Aunt Michelle while Daddy finds out what's wrong with Mommy?" he smiled kissing her forehead before letting her down and watching her leave the room, turning back to see Cedes sitting up in bed "I choose you, you know that, I'd have told you earlier if you'd have let me get a word in"

"And I'd never leave you, you know that right?" she crawled down the bed telling him "I have this dark place inside me Sam, I don't know if I can explain it, it's like... I'm in this hole and it's as dark as it can ever get, and the only light that's ever in it is Imogen and you... I feel like you keep talking about getting yourself killed is telling me you don't want to be my light anymore" her voice broke as she opened up to him "I get the feeling that you love me, you make me feel that and then I feel that I'm happy, but then I feel guilty because for us, as long as you're with me, this is it, I can't give you any more children and I ..."

"Stop" he moved towards her hushing her mouth with his fingers, sitting on the bed beside her "I have you and now Imogen and believe me Cedes, I've never lied to you, I don't need anything or anyone else, you guys are it" he smiled pulling her hair back off her face "This is God's plan for us, I believe that, you, Imogen and I are going to be something great"

"Something great" she smiled resting her head on his shoulder

"And those feelings" he nudged her head off his shoulder "Great song"

"Song?" she laughed

"Great song" he smiled at her "And its my turn for yet another apology _**I apologize if I say, anything I do mean, cause I've been drinking too much, faded off the gasoline, I'm just trying to live life, put on for my family, that's on everything, g**_ _ **irl we can do anything, cause baby, we are..."**_ he sang in her ear

"I'm getting fed up of Bazzi fighting all our battles" she laughed

"Bazzi's my making love to you music" he kissed her neck telling her as Imogen burst through the bedroom door with news about her latest conversation with the doorman, Sam and Cedes sat listening to her tale as she snapped her fingers in her fashion, rolled her eyes Daddy style and wiggled her booty mimicking her Mommy

After breakfast they went back to their house, everyone did, waiting to get this news Ann had for all of them, shocked to find Ben sitting there with a few thugs around him, he sat telling them about Sargent, how things had run in the past, the deal he'd made with Tony, Daniel and Heath and what he was prepared to do now that deal was severed

"So you got Dad involved in this in the first place?" Sam asked

"Your Dad got himself involved in all this, he spent a weekend grating me, about a month learning the business and I started them off"

"Sound familiar" Tony laughed at Sam cutting his eye at him

They had lunch together then Ben left with a promise to keep a closer eye, miraculously the house was ready that weekend and furniture vans arrived to move them simultaneously to their mansion in the Holmby Hills neighbourhood, three weeks later it was Imogen's 6th Birthday, the party happened as usual of course there was a moment when everyone remembered those that were missing and Imogen got her first horse from her Great Uncle Ben

Sam and Cedes sat watching her being trained to ride at her tender age on a model horse "I want to concentrate on getting that singing thing going again" she looked up at him saying

"That's cool" he kissed her forehead smiling "There's going to have to be sacrifices you know that right?"

"I can do this"

"I know you can" he hugged her tighter smiling, happy she was finally ready to put her feelings out there for the world to hear ' _ **Lay with me, lay with me, lay till the morning, cause I'm high and you're high, together we're soarin'**_ he hummed as they lay watching their daughter

 **Nearly 1 Year Later**

 **25 Years Old**

The family had settled into another life, quiet, relaxed, free from hustling, they were feeling normal of sorts, take away the heavily guarded house, vetted visitors and camera's everywhere, Ben was their silent benefactor and only Ann seemed to know that

There had been lots more tears for Sam and Cedes over the months, fixing Cedes heart had proved to be more complex than any of them had thought, she went further down into that hole than Sam would have ever imagined, one minute she wasn't interested in anything, the next too excited about things that didn't matter. She was racked with guilt about not being able to have any more babies and regularly had feelings and thoughts of suicide, she'd actually taken pills once, the only thing keeping her going this past year was Sam and Imogen.

Sam had taken eight weeks off and then reluctantly returned to his game, he was missing his Dad like crazy and feeling guilty for helping to make the decision for them to move out of their neighbourhood allowing them to take their eye off the ball without fully knowing what the ball was. Cedes wasn't coping well with him being away, especially while trying to do her song, so he was spending ridiculous amounts of money going home for a day or even hours in between games, just to keep her calm and get her to focus on the music, he felt it was slowly healing her

Three weeks ago she'd finally called him sounding happy "I think I've finished the song" she breathed before she burst into tears "I'm sorry" she mumbled wiping her face dry "It's just been so hard and now it's out I don't know that I can sing it to anyone"

"Surely you can sing it to me" he frowned, his voice sad down the phone

"I mean" she laughed "I can sing it, but I'm not sure if I can stop myself crying"

"I'll be back in two days, you can sing it to me until you stop crying" he laughed

"You'll regret that offer" she laughed

"I won't" he giggled "How's Imogen?"

"She's fine missing her Daddy nearly as much as her Mommy is"

Something seemed to have lifted off her then, now two months since that conversation, Cedes had recorded the song, released the single and watched it grow interest, she'd been singing in clubs and stuff, praying to be popular one day.

"Sam" Cedes screamed over the phone, he was stood in the changing room in Texas "They want me to sing my song at The Fonda next Saturday 8pm"

"The Fonda?" he gasped "That's big"

"I know" she laughed

"How do you feel about that?"

"Will you be there?"

"Of course"

"Then I feel great about it" she giggled "This is it Sam, my big break I can feel it, **_cause I'm high and you're high, together we're soarin'_** she sang

"Now who's holding onto Bazzi feels?" he laughed "I'm about to go on the field we'll speak after the game, I love you"

"Don't break a leg" she laughed "Oh and Sam... I love you"

'Cedes is singing at The Fonda Theatre, Saturday 8pm be there, seats booked' Sam messaged the family before he went on the field, he was more excited than her, she'd worked so hard for this opportunity, he had a good game he was so hyped

Saturday was quickly here and preparations were being made for the evenings event, Cedes was super stressed at revealing her soul to the family, there'd be questions afterwards for it's meaning. Everything seemed to rush by, suddenly her name was called and she was up on stage focusing on getting her mood and not crying, she looked at Sam as the music started, smiling for the pride in his face before she started singing

 **'Fire' by Deva Mahal**

 _Long, it's been a long time coming, though I sent a strong, a real strong warning, that you tried to fight, but this losing battle, defeated the lights, so put your feet to the gravel, I tried, Lord knows I've tried, oh, I can't go any further, if you only know, the darkness inside, I can't go any further, if you only know the darkness inside of me._

 _True, you truly make me feel good, and I know you'd, do anything that you could, to make me happy, happier than I deserve, but I was set on fire, and you can't heal these burns, the tears I've cried, could fill a river wide, oh, said I can't go any further, if you only know, the darkness inside, I can't go any further, if you only know, the darkness inside of me, yeah, say no, say no, say no no, said I can't go no, any further, if you only know oh, the darkness inside, and I can't go no, any further, if you only know, the darkness inside of me, say no, no, no, nooo..._

"That was brilliant" Sam met her at side stage hugging her "I'm so proud of you" he found her lips telling her

"It felt good, I guess I found a box for those feelings" she replied tears in her eyes

"I guess" he walked her away back to their seats telling her, she relaxed a bit after that the family were really supportive

"Dance?" Sam held his hand out asking, concerned she was still tense a long while later that evening

"There's no music" she got up saying, smiling at the music started "You did this?" she smiled hearing their song play

 _ **"Hey lady, let me tell you why, I can't live my life without you, ooh, baby"**_ he pulled her in and sung in her ear

 _ **"Every time I see you walking by, I cannot breathe, you don't understand but in time you will, I must make you understand"** _she sung back

 _ **"I wanna be your man, I wanna be your man, I wanna be your man, yes, I do, yeah, yeah"**_ he sung "I'm going to kiss you this time" he told her taking her lips as the song carried on, he was a proud man

 _ **"Better not pass me by, cause if you do you lose a good thing"** _she giggled not embarrassed anymore

 ** _"Cause what I've got to say, is sealed with a kiss, and a wedding ring"_** he smiled "See I mean what I say"

"Right"

"There you go giving me Bazzi permissions again" he laughed spinning her round

The End


End file.
